


What if?

by Dichan03



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Annabeth Chase is a Good Friend, F/F, F/M, Happy Nico di Angelo, M/M, Milo helps Percy, Mr. Martins is nice, New Family, Nico is a teddy bear, Protective Annabeth Chase, Protective Siblings, Sad Percy Jackson, Suicidal Percy Jackson, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22880788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dichan03/pseuds/Dichan03
Summary: Nico was left at Camp alone after Bianca and Percy went on a quest. When the boy fell in the Labyrinth, a man found him. Now that Nico has new siblings, he can focus on being happy.Percy never forgave himself for Nico's disappearance. Since that Quest, he always felt sad, guilty, and he never was the same Percy Jackson he had been before.Many years later, Percy feels void. He doesn't have the will to live anymore, after what he did to the Di Angelo siblings. A boy with a bright smile and bubbly personality will stop him from ending his life and give him another chance to be happy.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 97





	1. Another beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I've had this idea of giving siblings to Nico for a while, so why not? You may notice that English is not my mother tongue, so even if I use Grammarly, there are probably errors left. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this story and if I should continue to write it.

When Nico was dropped at Camp Half-Blood, he was still full of hope. His sister, Bianca, just left him to join Artemis' Hunt and couldn't even look at him anymore. Immediately, she had to leave for a Quest. Suicidal quest, he thought. She was a Demigoddess since what? 1 day? She couldn't fight and they sent her to death, he knew it. He would never see his sister again, and it made him sad. He was only ten years old and he had no family anymore. Nico had asked Percy, the Demigod who saved them at Westover Hall, to protect Bianca, but deep inside, he knew it would be useless, that his sister was dead.  
Nico wanted to be friends with the other Campers, but they rejected and ignored him. He didn't want to live in Cabin 11. It was cramped and he had to sleep on the floor. A Hermes son stole his sleeping bag on the second day, during an activity. Nico tried to tell his Head Cabin about it, but Travis Stoll just shrugged. The boy wanted to cry, but he held his tears back. He couldn't show any weakness, told Travis' brother, Connor.   
Nobody wanted to talk to him, so Nico felt lonely. He developed the habit of wandering in the woods, alone, mostly to play Myth'O'Magic. That was what he was doing, checking on his cards when one fell in a hole. He tried to retrieve it but fell in a dark place. He couldn't jump high enough nor climb on the walls. They were smooth, and he couldn't dig holes in them to climb. Nico was trapped. He tried to yell but no one answered him.   
After hours of screaming, he knew it was useless. The sky was dark now and he couldn't see a thing. Tears were burning his eyes, wanting to roll down his cheeks. This time, he let them. He was lost and none of the Campers would come for him.   
If he didn't find help, he would die of thirst and hunger. Or maybe a monster would come and eat him, ending his sadness right now and there. It would be great. Dying to not suffer anymore. Maybe he could see Bianca again, like ghosts. It sounded nice, somehow.  
Sobbing loudly, he didn't hear the steps coming in his direction. But he saw the light. Since when monsters carried lamps?  
The person -or monster may be- turned around the corner and Nico could see them. Him. An adult in a dark suit holding a storm lamp. Much to Nico's surprise, he smiled gently and knelt in front of him.   
"Hey, little one. Why those tears?"  
"I'm lost..." sobbed Nico.   
"Hmm, that's a good reason to cry, I admit. How about we go out of there? You shall be exhausted."  
"Who are you, Mister?"  
Somewhere between his crying induced headache and his despair, he remembered his mom telling him to never follow strangers. This man seemed nice, but Nico had no clue of who he was.  
"My name is Simon Nikiforov. But I expect you to call me Simon. I'm a Demigod too. Your dad asked me to fetch you from Camp."  
"I don't know my dad."  
That was true. He only knew his mom and her family. His father had never been in the picture.   
"You know that your dad is a God, right? That's why he couldn't be with Bianca and you. But he told me a lot of things about you, like how you liked to play Myth'O'Magic and that Hestia was your favorite Goddess. I'm also a fan." smiled the man holding his hand out for Nico.  
The boy decided to follow him. Simon's hand was big and calloused, but he liked the contact. No one wanted to touch him at Camp, he missed it. Simon helped him to stand up.  
"I need you to not let my hand go and close your eyes. We are going to travel a bit," said Simon.  
Nico obeyed and felt a strange sensation. Hot and cold, upturning his insides. When it stopped, he kept his eyes closed until Simon told him he could open them.   
They were in a small street with houses, some with lights at the window. The houses seemed big and Simon led him to one of them.  
"Where are we?"  
"In Washington DC. I live here with my siblings. Oh, you sure are tired, little one." smiled Simon when he saw Nico yawn.  
In a blink, the little boy was in the man's arms, cuddling. He didn't notice when they came into the house or what surrounded them. Simon climbed some stairs and soon, Nico was in a comfy bed, sleeping deeply. The man smiled and went to bed. It was late and probably time to call it a day.  
.  
When Nico woke up, he was not on Hermes' Cabin's floor. He was on a single bed, in a room he didn't know. There was another bed, a bigger one, but no one was sleeping in. There was a noise somewhere in the house like people chatting. The memories from yesterday flooded in his mind. Simon and his storm lamp in the dark, who took him away from Camp, to his house. Nico climbed off the bed and wandered in the large house. He saw many doors and finally, stairs. Once on the ground floor, he quickly found the kitchen. A large counter was in the middle and people were sitting, chatting happily while two were at the stove.  
All of them had jet black hair, dark eyes, and alabaster skin. 5 men and one girl. Simon was there, squeezing orange juice while his brother cooked something.  
"Hey, there little one. How about French Toasts? Does that sound good?" smiled Simon.  
Nico nodded and the girl motioned him to sit next to her on a stool. He did so and was rewarded by a grin.  
"Hi! I'm Diane. Delighted to meet you. You already know Simon, my big brother, but here are the other ones. Jean, the 2nd, then Barthelemy, Thomas, and Mathieu. I'm the youngest."   
Nico smiled at her and a plate of French Toasts appeared in front of him.  
"Youngest and ladies first," said Simon, doing the same with Diane.  
Once everyone had their plates, they thanked Simon and Thomas for the food before digging in. It was delicious, though Nico. The fresh orange juice and the toasts, but it seemed even better now that he had someone to share them with.   
Once breakfast was cleared and plates, glasses, and cutlery washed, they showed the house to Nico. It was big, with a lot of light coming in with large couches, armchairs in the living room. There was a library with so many books that made Nico a bit dizzy.  
"For now, you will be rooming with me," said Simon. when they looked at the bedrooms.   
There was also a garden behind the house where snow was pilling. They were in late December after all.  
"Now Nico, we have things we should discuss."  
Nico sat in the living room and Mathieu lit a fire with his powers in the chimney. Thomas patted his back.  
"Say, Nico, do you have an idea of who we are?", asked Jean.  
"You're Demigods."  
"That's right. We are Demigods. We too were born many years ago. Simon and I were born in 1920. Our father is a God, just like you. When WW2 began, he had to protect our younger siblings while I had to go to the battlefield with Simon."  
"In which army were you?"  
"We grew up in Saint Petersburg, so we fought for Russia."  
Nico nodded. He remembered a bit of his life before the Lotus Hotel and Westover Hall, with their mom, and despite being very young at that time, he knew a war was coming. All his childhood, he had seen veterans from the Great War who told the kids tales from the battlefield. Back then, he thought the war was horrible, and he could feel death lingering after the veterans. Now that he knew what he was searching for, he could feel the same thing on Simon and Jean.  
"Our father first took Barthelemy, Thomas, Mathieu, and Diane in a safe place, then came for us."  
"What about your mom?"  
"She died, just like your, Nico. Having 6 children with the same God was an act of Hubris, deadly pride. Our father helped us during our life in modern times, and in exchange, he asked Simon to help you, his last son. You are our brother, Nico."  
"We are siblings?" asked the 10 years old, dumbfounded.  
"Yes, we are. Half-siblings" confirmed Simon.  
"Who's our dad, then?"  
The Nikiforov siblings -Nico's siblings- looked at the others, as if they had a silent conversation. Nico wished he could do that, one day.  
"Our dad is Hades, Nico. But you have to understand that he can never claim us as his, unlike the other Gods. Because none of us should be alive."  
"Why?"  
"A Promise was made after a Prophecy came out. A child of the Big Three will have the power to destroy or save the world. Thus, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore to never have children again. Zeus and Poseidon broke that oath, by having Thalia and Percy. But if our uncle learned about us, who shouldn't live in modern times, he would kill us at sight."  
"Why? He has a daughter and he didn't kill Percy! Percy is a hero!"  
Another silence thickened the atmosphere before Mathieu spoke. They all looked hurt.   
"Because there is little hope that we will one day be seen as heroes, Nico. Hades isn't a loved God like his brothers... His children cause too many problems. Zeus thinks they should be killed immediately. He tried many times to kill us. Our mama died to shield Diane when she was a little girl. Zeus and Poseidon can be forgiven for breaking the oath, but Hades won't be."  
"Why?! That's unfair!"  
"It is, Nico. But life is unfair. Greek Demigods fear us. But you have to remember that we won't let you be killed. We protect our kin. We stick together and fight for the others. There may not be a day where we can stand in the daylight, proud to be children of Hades, but you won't have to fear to die soon." said Simon.  
Before he knew it, the boy was crying. Everything was falling around him. Since he met Percy Jackson, only days ago, he wanted to become strong, a hero, just like him. And now, he learned that people would never acknowledge as such. Percy killed Bianca, but he had admired him, as a hero in shining armor, coming to rescue Nico and Bianca. Percy failed his mission. Nico never wanted to see him again.   
Diane held Nico against her, rubbing his back and he hugged her for comfort. He cried for what felt an eternity before he could finally stop sobbing and let his new sister go. Barthelemy dried his tears with his big, strong hands in a delicate gesture.  
"It's okay to cry, little one. It means you still have a heart. Never feel ashamed to cry. If you have something heavy on your heart or mind, don't hesitate to tell one of us."  
"Percy killed Bianca... I... I hate him..."  
Simon took him on his lap. Usually, Nico would have argued he was too old for that, but he just cuddled with his brother.  
"I know it hurts a lot. You have every right to be angry, but I have to tell you one thing: Bianca was young, but she made her own decisions. Those decisions may have split you apart and caused her death, but they were hers. No one took them for her. Bianca died, yes, but Percy didn't kill her. It was just the right moment for her to leave."  
"Our fatal flaw, the one that can cause our death, is Grudge, Nico. Holding grudges can be dangerous for children of Hades. It caused many of our sibling's death. If you want your heart to hurt less, you need to let go of those grudges. It won't be a day's work. It will take time, but once you will let go of them, you will feel better, lighter."  
"You did that too?"  
"Yes. We had a lot of bitterness in our hearts. Demigods' attitude toward us, our mama's death, the time Simon and I spent in the army, fighting our siblings, the lack of reward for being on 'the good side'. We had a lot of those. Our mama used to tell us many things about Grudge."  
"Life is too short. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can, apologize when you should and let go of what you cannot change." said Thomas.  
"Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. I like that one," smirked Mathieu.  
"Mama also said that Holding a grudge doesn't make you strong, it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn't make you weak, it sets you free," added Jean. "You see, Nico, there are so many other things to do than holding a grudge."  
Nico nodded and cuddled with Simon a bit longer. He needed affection and comfort.   
.  
Over the days, Nico got used to this new family. They were nice to him and he got to know them more. For instance, he learned that Simon worked as a lawyer and Jean as a computer scientist and both were 30 years old. Barthelemy, who was 24, was a sports coach and trained the local children's soccer team. Thomas, 21 years old, was a baker and Mathieu, 18, just began College to become a veterinarian. Diane was still 15 and in high school. Nico taught her how to play Myth'O'Magic and they often played in the living room with their brothers cheering and setting stakes. He also saw, in the morning, the men's tattoos. Nico found them all very beautiful. Simon had a flying raven on his left pectoral in sketch style and one representing Cerberus on his shoulder blades. Jean had a microchip tattooed on his heart, showing his love for computers, but also a mathematic formula on the inside of his right wrist. Euler's identity, as he called it. The beauty of mathematics. But Nico didn't like maths. Barthelemy had two sleeves tattoos: one was a sketch style bear and the other was Medusa, the Gorgon, staring at you with her snake-like yellow eyes. Thomas' tattoos were baking related. Baking utensils, a knife on his right forearm, the chocolate fondant's recipe on his heart, colored potions vials and, Nico's favorite, a gingerbread man on one of his calves. The funniest tattoo he got was the word 'cupcakes' on his knuckles like bikers or jailers would have threatening words on them. But no, Thomas was a die-hard baker and was proud of it. Mathieu, the last to come off-age, got a wolf tattoo on his right arm for his birthday. Nico and Diane were fascinated by those tattoos and often liked to discuss what kind of tattoos they would get when off-age. Their older brothers would just smile fondly at their antics.  
Holidays were over quickly and Nico had to go to school. His siblings helped him to catch what he missed -around 70 years of schooling- so he wouldn't be lost in class. Simon called the Headmaster of Diane's private school and they went for Nico to have some tests, to see if he could fit in the classes. Being 10, nearly 11 years old, he would be in 4th grade. Hopefully, the school had pupils from kindergarten to high school. He could have lunch with Diane, who was in 9th grade and come home with her.  
When Nico woke up on the first school day, he was anxious. They had discussed it and thoroughly agreed that none of them had the skills to homeschool him. Thomas, the most optimistic of them all, argued that Nico could befriend kids his age and who were not related to him. For one week, they trained him to swordsmanship and to control his powers so there wouldn't be any incident. Diane was perfectly able to protect the school from monsters, but the many human scents would cover theirs. For the occasion, Thomas made waffles and took an off-day to fetch them at school. Nico forced himself to eat what was on his plate. It was delicious, but anxiety made his stomach twist on itself. He dressed in his new uniform and put his shoes on with his sister. Exceptionally, Simon drove them to school, since he had to discuss with the Headmaster. Nico didn't want to let go of them. He held his brother's hand while they walked from the parking lot to the school. After wishing him 'good luck', Diane went to meet her friends and waved at Nico. Simon led him to the Headmaster's office, like when they visited the school, so Nico could get his schedule and information.   
"M. Nikiforov, Nico. I'm glad to see you again."  
Headmaster Martins told them that the FCAT would be useful for Nico. Since he had been schooled abroad and then at home for a while, he may be ahead of his class.  
"Thus, with the FCAT, we will decide if you should skip one year."  
Nico nodded and was given his schedule and papers with school activities he could join.  
"Does one of those pick up your interest?" asked Simon, bending to look at the list.   
"I used to play soccer before. And it was nice to play with Bart'."  
Despite the cold weather, they had played many games outside, like baseball, soccer, and football. Each time, they came home with their faces red from the cold and effort, covered for grass stains, snow and a bit a mud. Thomas would brew his secret hot cocoa to warm them up.  
"Well, a pupil in your class plays on the soccer team. It would be a nice thing to bond over." smiled M. Martins.  
The Headmaster himself led them to Nico's class and knocked at the door. A pretty Latino woman opened the door and smiled brightly.   
"M. Martins. And you have to be Nico. How are you? I'm Miss Garcia Ready to make new friends?"  
Nico nodded shyly and followed her in the class after Simon gave a last squeeze and an encouraging smile to his brother. The door was closed and the boy found himself alone in front of 9 kids who were staring at him.  
"Class, this is our new friend: Nico Di Angelo. Now, Nico, why don't you tell us three things about yourself?"  
Nico thought for some seconds and began.  
"Erm... I'm from Italy, my favorite game is Myth'O'Magic and my brother Thomas has 'cupcakes' tattooed on his knuckles."  
The last statement made the teacher giggle and she showed Nico where he could sit.  
"Now, who can tell Nico about the last lesson?"


	2. leads to another ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy never forgave himself for all the losses he faced. He feels guilty and wants to die. That voice keeps telling him to do it. After two wars and too many dead people haunting him, he decides to put an end to his suffering.

When they came back to Camp, Chiron told them about Nico's disappearance. They sought him for days, but no one could locate the little boy. Such a little boy in big woods full of monsters.

Percy's world crumbled around him. _You are to blame, his mind told him. It's your fault that Bianca died. Your fault that Nico has probably died in horrible circumstances. You are a shameful person, Perseus Jackson. Repulsive. I don't understand why people bother to stay with you. You ruined so many of them._

For days and nights, Percy lamented in his bed, refusing to let anyone come in his cabin. Annabeth stopped after 3 days, coming at least before each meal to seek for him. But he didn't respond to her solicitations neither Chiron's. Thalia tried too, Clarisse barked for him to man up and go out at some point. Damn, nearly everyone came to see if he wasn't dead. But they stopped one by one. After a week, no one was coming and Percy was finally alone. That was the only thing he deserved. Being alone. People like him didn't deserve to be cared for. For one week, he survived of water and felt ashamed of being alive. He shouldn't be alive when so many people died by his fault.

"Percy? I know you're there. May I come in?"

That was Chiron, maybe one last try before giving up. Percy wanted him to give up, but he stood up and opened the door. The centaur's eyes widened at the sight of the boy. He was sickly pale, enormous dark circles under his void eyes. He was thining from the lack of food and the inactivity. Tears had caused dry furrows on his cheeks. The bright, sarcastic and cheerful boy wasn't there anymore.

"Percy... Can I come in?"

The adolescent stepped aside and went to sit back on his bed. He curled on himself, back against the headboard of his bunk bed. Percy pulled on his hood to hide and buried his head in his arms. He hadn't the force to sob and no tears would come from his eyes anymore. Chiron stepped in the cabin and closed the door behind him. It looked like a typhoon came in. Everything was upside down. Raging screams had been heard from Cabin 3 the night Percy came back along with breaking noises.

"Do you have an idea of how long you stayed in there?"

"...7 days, 3 hours and 54 minutes," answered Percy in a hoarse, monotonous voice.

"Have you eaten something at least? Annabeth told me you refused to come eating."

"Water is enough for me."

"No Percy. It isn't. You're a mortal, you need food and sun. You need to sleep too. How much do you sleep at night?"

"I can't..." said Percy, tightening his grip on his knees.

Chiron sighed. This couldn't continue. The boy would die if he kept acting this way.

"Listen, Percy, I know you feel guilty for everything that happened. But what happened can't be changed. Now, you have to look forward and continue your life. You can't change the past."

"Nico won't come back, right?"

"No, he won't," confirmed Chiron. "But you must go on."

"It's hard... It hurts so much..." croaked the son of Poseidon. "I lost Luke... Bianca, Zoë... I nearly lost Annabeth and now Nico... I can't, Chiron, I can't!"

The centaur was sad for his protegé. He knew it was hard, to see people you cared about dying or betray you. But they needed him. Camp Half-Blood needed a hero. They couldn't afford to lose him. That was what he explained to the boy this night, telling him that they needed him.

"And after?"

"After what?"

"After the war, when you won't need me anymore. What will I do? Remember my friends who died? Seriously Chiron."

"After the war, you will live peacefully."

Percy nodded, but they both knew he wouldn't. The boy would forever be haunted by those ruthless memories. Forever, until the day he would put an end to it. They both knew that Percy Jackson wouldn't get a happy ending.

.

After that discussion, Percy buried himself in training. He needed to be a hero because that was what he was expected to be. He had to be the strongest, the deadliest fighter. In the final battle, Kronos wouldn't give him a break or another chance. It would be "kill or be killed".

Since that infamous quest, he barely spoke to anyone. Just the strict minimum. One or two words a day. Annabeth kept supporting him. He didn't want to be touched affectionately anymore, but he liked her presence. It grounded him, helped him to remember to eat, breathe and do everything to keep his body alive. Just his body, because his soul was dead since that day. He fought, but his smile was gone.

His mom worried about him. He cried one night in her arms, explaining all those horrid things he did to his mom, his greatest supporter. He thought she would hate him, but she cried with him for all the losses he faced. They cried, holding each other all night and she tried to tell him it wasn't his fault. But that nasty, nagging voice in his head kept telling him those dark things. How he should kill himself and rid the world of his existence. Maybe Hades would be kind enough to not punish him too hard for killing his two kids.

.

Years passed and the Prophecy was out of sight. He fought Luke in the final battle. Well, not Luke Castellan anymore, but Kronos. Luke died, they won, and Percy thought he could finally do what he had wanted to do for years. He was sixteen, but his life ended at 13, three years ago.

He quickly disappeared, his memories wiped. For months, he was alone on the streets, without any idea of who he was. Until he got his memories back, he didn't hear the voice, but after he drank the Gorgon blood, all the things he did came back. especially his guilt about Nico. But he had to keep going because he couldn't let Hazel and Frank, two rather inexperienced Demigods, alone on a quest. Not after Bianca. So he kept going, fighting, living.

One night, after going to Frank's grandma's house and seeing Tyson again, they chatted. Percy was glad to see his little brother again.

"I'm an only child," said Frank. "But I think it's nice to have siblings, after seeing you and Tyson."

"I have siblings!" smiled Hazel. "On my father's side."

"Other children of Pluto?" asked Percy, slightly hopeful.

"No, he's Greek, just like you. Simon brought me from the Underworld to Camp Jupiter. He comes every month to see if I'm acclimating well."

Simon. Not Nico. Percy never heard about another child of the Big Three except Thalia and himself.

They fulfilled the quest and Percy nearly died of drowning. What an irony for the son of Poseidon. But as water filled his lungs, he found himself eventually at peace with himself, accepting his fate. If Hazel hadn't helped him, he would have been happy to die.

When they came back to Camp Jupiter, Percy didn't want to party. But as the new Praetor, he had no choice. He forced himself.

.

Seeing Annabeth again was good. She scolded him, once they were alone, for not taking care of himself. He had lost too much weight during his time on the streets and his quest. The dark bags under his eyes were even more prominent. They nearly reached his cheekbones. She forced him to eat.

At some point, Percy didn't understand how it happened, Leo attacked Camp Jupiter and they had to leave in urgency. He met Jason, the son of Jupiter and Thalia's full-blood brother. Hazel and Frank were with him. He would have preferred for them to stay with the Romans. They were new to quests, and some Prophecy put them on stage for another war. Same for Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. They were new, certainly had lived too many horrible things for 15 years old teens, but they would have to face fights, death, and atrocities that couldn't be named.

This war promised to be even more horrible than the last.

.

Percy fought again. He fought for his life, for his friends' lives. He fought Gaea and nearly died when saving the world another time.

This time, he decided, would be the last. There wouldn't be another war for him. He had been tricked into the war against Gaea, but no one would force him to fight anymore.

.

He decided to wait until he was 18. It was a good age to die, he thought. The nasty voice was more present than ever. He couldn't spend a minute awake without hearing that voice and his poor sleep hours were filled with nightmares. Or memories.

On the 20th of August, 3 days after his 18th birthday, he left his mom and Paul's apartment at dawn. Percy had left a letter, saying goodbye to his family, and one for Chiron, saying he was done with all of this. His parents had now Estelle, they wouldn't be alone. He told Sally his project, she tried to convince him to not do it, but finally, she understood. He wished she could be happy, now that she would be rid of her failure of a son. He didn't want his mom to identify his body. Percy left his ID and everything that could give his identity at the apartment and went hitchhiking to the south. Percy didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to find the right place. At some point, the truck driver said they were in Washington DC and Percy thanked him before jumping down the high vehicle. He walked for a long while, summer sun burning his scalp. But he didn't care anymore. His feet were leading him somewhere.

He already went to DC, when he was 12, just before going to the Sea of Monsters. His first quest with Tyson, his first meeting with Hermes. Today, the Gods didn't care about him anymore. He fulfilled the Prophecies, did what he had to do, and now, he could finally do what he wanted to do for years. His family and Annabeth wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. His mom worried so much when he disappeared last summer. But this time, she knew and wouldn't worry. Annabeth would most likely cry her heart out and wonder if it was her fault. But she hadn't done anything wrong. It was just him, who couldn't live anymore.

Damn, he didn't notice it was so late. Nightfall already.

Percy found a bridge and walked on it until he was in the middle. Potomac's dark waters seemed to call him.

_It's finally time. You'll do the right thing. You won't kill anyone anymore. People will be safe, now that you won't be around._

Percy took a pocket knife. He didn't want to do that with Riptide. The sharp pain on both his wrists appeased him, one more scar on his skin. The blood began to run on his hands as he climbed the fence of the Bridge. He stood there for some seconds, feeling the harsh wind on him. And he jumped, landing in the dark waters with a loud crash noise. Percy felt pain, maybe one or two bones breaking, but it was more calming than anything else. Yes, he was in pain, but since that period, pain always soothed him, grounded him when Annabeth wasn't there. Scars covered his body, but those on his arms and stomach (at least most of them) weren't due to fights.

He left the water engulfing him, wetting his clothes, his hair, and his skin. He knew he couldn't stop his ability to breathe underwater, but he hoped the bloodloss would do its job.

As the seconds passed, he could finally feel himself fainting. Finally, he could put an end to his horrid actions.

_You did well, Percy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you yell at me for killing Percy, there will be a chapter 3. Maybe I won't die today because you cursed me. I know it's a sad and quite depressing chapter (I had a hard time writing it) but things will get better for Percy, just like they did for Nico. Anyway, I hoped you liked it, don't hesitate to tell me what you've thought of it! Hugs from France.


	3. Waking up from a nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy wakes up in a foreign bed and meets people who only want to help him. For the first time in 5 years, he sees the light in the long, endless tunnel where he trapped himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I hope you're all doing well. It took me a bit longer to write this one, but I hope you will like it. Feel free to let a comment to tell me what you liked and what I could do better in the next chapter.

When Percy woke up from his slumber, he felt warm and comfortable. When opening his eyes, his vision was blurry until he blinked a few times. A white ceiling faced him, and from what he felt, he was on a bed, under light sheets. Percy sat up and looked around. The room was nicely decorated, with dark walls and a giant bed. There was a walk-in dressing with glass walls, and on the wall in front of Percy, he could read, in white lettering: As we run, we become. From Amby Burnfoot, he recognized.   
Percy looked at his arms. On his right forearm, Camp Jupiter's tattoo, a reminder of the last war. But he wasn't looking for that. His wrists interested him more. There were, on each wrist, white bandages, most likely hiding cuts. Damn, he was alive.  
"Hey there. You're finally awake." said someone, opening the door.  
Percy looked at the man coming in. Dark hair in a short undercut, alabaster skin, dark, elegant suit. He looked like a rich lawyer or a politic man.   
"You frightened us. You were found by my youngest sibling. He saw you jumping and followed you. You're lucky he managed to pull you out of the water and take you home. But you're even luckier that he didn't harm himself while saving you. Because you would be in a Hell of troubles, no pun intended, Perseus Jackson." said the man in a soft yet cold voice.  
His onyx-dark eyes were burning with some contained rage.   
"How do you know my name?"  
"You hadn't your ID, but do you think we wouldn't recognize the son of Poseidon? We did not participate in the last two wars, but you are a celebrity in our world. But I do understand you want to stay under the radars for some time. You are safe here."  
"Who knows I'm here?"  
"Only my family and each of them can hold their tongues. We are marginalized by our own will. No one in the mythological world knows about our mere existence, aside from our father, of course."  
"Who's he?" asked Percy, hoping it would not be a God who hated him too much.   
"Your good friend Hades." smiled the man. "My name is Simon, I think Hazel told you about me. You don't have to worry. Father helps us to be invisible to those who are affiliated with our world. Even if they searched for you specifically, they couldn't find you."  
"What if they see me?"  
"They can't. I considered that possibility. They couldn't recognize you even if they were in front of you. Some heavy Mist manipulation." explained Simon.   
Percy nodded, and the son of Hades smiled at him.   
"You slept for a whole week. We're on the 27th of August, in Washington. Any question before we go downstairs for a good brunch?"  
"Who saved me?" asked Percy.   
"As I told you, it was my youngest sibling. His name is Nico Di Angelo, and he's 15. I think you two know each other, right?"  
"Nico... is not dead?" asked a suddenly pale youth.  
"I found him in the Labyrinth some hours after he fell in. Hades contacted me so I could fetch him. He was with us the whole time."  
"Why didn't someone told me? I- I tried to kill myself because I felt guilty for him!"  
"Nico didn't want to go back there, and I understand his feeling. Camp Half-Blood isn't a place for my kin. I am truly sorry for what you lived, but we had to keep Nico safe. If someone had known he was alive, they would have dragged him into the wars. I couldn't allow that."  
Deep inside, Percy understood. Simon wanted to keep his family safe and not send them to war. They had been horrible enough, and too many youngs died during those. He didn't want to think about how Nico could have died in a battle.  
"Is... Is he happy?" whispered Percy.  
He hoped the answer would be a yes. After everything he lived, Nico deserved happiness.  
"Of course, little one. We ensure our family's happiness. Now come, or you will miss Thomas' breakfast. No one wants to miss his breakfasts." smiled Simon, motioning for Percy to follow him.  
The teen obeyed and noticed he was wearing sweatpants and a large tee-shirt that didn't belong to him. They went downstairs, and Percy noticed the delicious scent of a bakery with people chatting happily.   
Once in the kitchen/dining room, Percy felt uneasy. He could count ten people, adults, and children. The youngest one was a baby held by a man who was Simon's brother, like five other people in the room. Another kid was in a baby chair, being fed by a tall and bulky man. Two persons were in the kitchen, cooking and giggling.  
Percy spotted Nico right away. A tall, lanky teen with tousled black curls in a ponytail who listened to a little girl on a booster seat babbling. His smile was bright, full of adoration when he looked at the toddler, exactly how little Nico looked at 13 years old Percy back then.   
"Percy, this is my family. In the kitchen, you have Thomas and Estrella. Mathieu, with the baby, is Estrella's husband. Their baby is Capucine. You have Jean, the one with glasses, and Barthelemy, the muscular one. Then it's Diane, and you already know Nico. The kids are Caelina and Mathias, my children." said Simon, introducing Percy to everyone in the room.  
Estrella came to the youth and smiled at him as his mom would. His heart ached when thinking of Sally Jackson.   
"Hey there, sweetheart. Why don't you come and sit with everyone? We baked some Lavender Blackberry Scones. What would you like to drink? Juice? Water? Milk? We've made smoothies."  
"A smoothie?"  
"Strawberry, Banana, and Mango smoothie. I'll get you a glass."  
Estrella finds him a seat between the little girl in a booster seat -Caelina, he remembered-, and the guy with glasses -Jean-.  
"Hello..." whispered Percy, clearly uneasy.  
Jean smiled at him, and the son of Poseidon looked Caelina. She had golden blonde curls that reminded him of Annabeth's and pitch-black eyes. An odd feature for a blonde, he thought. And the one whom Simon introduced as his son and Caelina's brother, Mathias, had jet black hair and stormy gray eyes. Those features could only mean one thing.   
"Their mom was a daughter of Athena." supplied Nico. "It's nice to see you again, Percy. Sorry for not sending news..." said the boy sheepishly.  
"No problem. You're happy, that's what matters."  
Nico smiled at him, relieved. Percy listened to the happy chatters and the joyful exclamations when Thomas and Estrella, helped by Simon, brought three trays with pastries. A glass of pink, thick liquid came in front of him with a plate filled with scones. It looked delicious, and Percy hadn't eaten solid food in a while.  
He thanked the cooks with everyone, and they dig in. It was as delicious as it looked, if not more. Percy looked at Thomas. He smiled when he saw the word 'cupcakes' tattooed on his knuckles.   
.  
After breakfast and once the dishes were washed, Percy got to meet the other members of the already big family: the animals.  
"Mathieu is in vet school, and we're foster home for those cuties." smiled Jean while ruffling a dog's fur.   
Percy knelt to pat a pup who looked peculiarly friendly.   
"That's Milo, an Australian Shepherd. He's young, only five months old, but no one wants to adopt him."  
"Why?"   
The youth couldn't understand how a dog that cute could repel families. He looked so adorable you wanted to hug and pet him.   
"Look at his front paw, on the left."  
Percy obeyed. At the place where the dog should have a front leg and paw, there was a space. Empty.  
"He had to be amputated at birth so he could live a long and happy doggy life. He will stay here until he founds a nice master."  
"He's cute," said Percy, petting the dog who yapped, happy to get attention.  
He chatted a bit about the animals with Jean, the man introducing him to the cats and dogs playing or napping in the garden. Caelina was running with a small dog while her brother napped on a big dog. Things seemed peaceful here, like a loop in time, far away from the wars and the mythological world. He could see why Nico wanted to stay here.   
"You can stay here as long as you need," said Jean as if he could read Percy's thoughts. "Days, weeks, months, even years if you need to. We know that Demigod's life can be harsh, especially when you're a hero."  
"You were too?"  
Percy never heard about a child of Hades turning good, sadly. They were mainly known for not living long or turning evil.  
"We fought on the Russian battlefront during WW2. Simon and I were fighting in Stalingrad in 1942-1943. 6 months, 16 days of constant fighting. Of risking our lives every day and seeing our friends, the ones we saw as brothers in arms, dying in front of us. I know what you feel, Percy. We know because we lived that too. In those 6 months, more than 1 000 000 of our brothers died, were hurt or disappeared."  
"How did you... moved on?"  
"It was a huge work on ourselves. Dealing with PTSD, nightmares, and the will to die, the guilt to be alive when our friends died. It will be hard to move on, but one day, you will manage to make peace will yourself. As we told Nico, it won't be a day's work. Take your time, one step at a time."  
"Yeah... Thanks, Jean. That's nice of you, to let me stay here."  
"You're welcome. And remember that this will be your house for as long as you want. We are happy to have you here. And Milo is too."  
Percy looked at the pup in his lap. The Australian Shepherd was asleep, curled together. The youth ran his hand through Milo's fur, appeased by the softness and the repetitive movement. He wanted to sleep.  
"Come, you should take a nap."  
"Who's room am I taking?"  
"It was Barthelemy's, but he moved out 2 years ago. We also made Mathieu's room into a kid room." smiled Jean, leading Percy to his new room.   
Milo followed them and the son of Poseidon silently asked for permission to take the dog with him.  
"Well, we all have our favorite ones. You can keep Milo for as long as you take care of him. Dogs and cats are great for comfort."  
They went upstairs, Milo in Percy's arms since he struggled with the stairs, and the youth find the same room he woke up in the morning. He put Milo on the bed and laid on his side, hugging the pup close. Jean sat on the bed and stroked Percy's hair, just like his mom used to do when he was sick.   
"It's okay to seek comfort. If you want hugs, cuddles or just talk, don't hesitate. It's okay to need someone." whispered Jean as Percy slowly fell asleep.  
Jean stayed a bit more, petting the jet-black hair with a smile before leaving the room. Percy needed to rest for a while, and they would give him all the time he needed.


	4. And taking a new start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to settle down for Percy, and he can't help but feel happy about the new turn his life took. He tries to fix himself and with the help of new people. For the first time in a while, he feels like he can do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm glad you made it until this chapter, which was really nice to write. After all the things I inflicted on Percy, I felt quite obligated to give him some peaceful time.

It took Percy many weeks to be able to eat correctly again. With years of functioning with minimum food and mainly water, his stomach became smaller. For days he had to eat food that was gentle with his stomach. Soups, porridges, smoothies, and oatmeals. After a while, he could eat solid food again. The first meal with scones hadn't been great aftermath since he woke up with the urge to throw up. Hopefully, Jean let him a basin, probably aware that this kind of thing could happen. He had cried after emptying his stomach, ashamed of himself. Milo had whined, and Estrella came to comfort him. She hugged him and rubbed his back for a while until he stopped crying.  
Since that day, Percy was careful with what he ate. He followed the instructions that Mathieu (the closest to a doctor in the house) gave him. Eat liquid for a while, try to go in the garden, play with the dogs and cats. The last part was easy since the animals loved him, but the second was more difficult. He went on the terrace, barely the threshold, but his hosts encouraged him to go farther.   
Percy was happy to have a furry friend. He comforted him, grounded him as Annabeth did. Having to recall him every day to feed him, take him outside, and just taking care of him was nice. It was beneficial to have a purpose again.   
He also liked the kids. Caelina was bright, bubbly and curious about everything, as a mini, girly Nico. He liked listening to her daily adventures with Goliath, the Newfoundland dog. The beast was larger than her but followed the little girl like a puppy, and acted like a plush dog. It was quite funny to see that giant hound be so calm and cuddly with kids. Mathias, despite being only two years old, was quiet and clever. It wasn't much a surprise considering his mom was a daughter of Athena. Sometimes, Percy wondered why she wasn't there, with her children. No one talked about her, as if she had never existed. One day, he dared to ask Diane about this Omerta.   
"Harriet wasn't a good person... Simon dated her around one year and a half before Nico arrived. He was in love with her. You know, sometimes, you think that person is the one you will stay your whole life with."  
The young woman looked at the purring, giant cat on her lap. A Maine Coon, from what he heard. The cat was always following Diane when she wasn't at College.  
"She hurt him?"  
"It's not my story to tell. But the kids are better without her. Trust is very fragile, Percy."  
With those cryptic words, she stood up and lifted the cat. Percy knew by experience that the mighty beast weighed around 17 lbs (8kg) but she held it like it was nobody's business.  
"Dee, can you bring your monster?" called Barthelemy.  
Each Sunday was 'Grooming Day'. They would spend the day washing, grooming, brushing each pet in the house. Two of Mathieu's friends, who were groomers, came for a little help.  
"Come on, King Arthur, let's brush your royal mane!" smirked Diane.   
Percy loved 'Grooming Day'. It was sort of a special day for him. He would go farther in the garden and learn the grooming job.  
"Hey Percy!" smiled Nico, who was washing Goliath with Caelina.   
Both were drenched from head to toe but smiled brightly. Percy was happy to see Nico again. They spent as much time as they could, chatting, cuddling or just watching movies together.  
"Hey, Nico." grinned the older youth.  
Usually, Percy's first animal to tend to was Milo, his favorite. It was a privileged moment between the two. If Percy smiled more since his arrival, Milo managed to make him laugh happily.   
At the end of the day, everyone was drenched but happy and the animals were more beautiful and majestic than ever. Especially King Arthur, who paraded in the garden.  
.  
Percy didn't know if he was ready to go back to school. Due to his 6 months disappearance, he had to redo his last year of High School.  
"Mathieu and Diane went to a private school and Nico is very happy there. They have many students with ADHD." said Simon when he came back from work on Monday.  
Nico was happy to tell Percy everything about his school. The youth listened gladly to the boy's ranting. He never had the opportunity to have a peaceful school year.   
"We could be in the same class since I skipped two years and now, I'm a Senior!"  
"That would be great."  
They decided to call the Headmaster and ask him if Percy could visit the school. The Headmaster, Mr. Martins, was always glad to welcome new members of this extensive family.   
"If you feel good enough, you can come for a visit Friday morning. During classes, there won't be anyone, so you will have some peace."  
"Can... Can one of you guys come with me?"  
Estrella smiled in her motherly way and proposed to come.   
"I don't work on Fridays."  
Percy nodded and tried to not be anxious for the upcoming week.  
.  
Well, let's say that he failed. He was nervous, couldn't finish his plate during meals because his stomach was knotted, despite the others' soothing acts and words.  
On Friday morning, Percy found himself with a sleepless night behind him and he didn't have the energy to finish his morning smoothie.   
"Hey, Percy. It's gonna be perfectly fine, you know that, right? No stress, no panic." tried Thomas, rubbing his back. "Estrella will be with you and nothing will go wrong."  
"Monsters can't be predicted..."  
"It's a safe place. And even if it wasn't, Nico will be there, ready to fight. For this visit, Estrella will be with you. She knows how to fight. You know you can tell her anything, right?"  
Percy nodded. He tried to breathe, but he was still nervous.  
"It's okay to be afraid. But what you can't do is to let this fear consume you."  
Again, Percy nodded and made sure he had everything in his messenger bag. Hades gave him new papers and background history as a 'welcome gift, so don't waste them, Perseus'. He was now the son of one of Simon's father's friends who happened to need a bit of help. Headmaster Martins understood and said to Simon that Percy would be welcome, despite his chaotic school-life until then. The youth wondered if it was because Hades had brainwashed the man or if it was just how he was.   
Estrella and Nico showed him the way. They were at 20 minutes by foot from the house, nothing too far. He could walk or run each morning and afternoon. Plus the landscape was nice since they were in the rich neighborhood.  
Nico was talking animately about school and the projects he had for this year. They arrived and a boy who was probably 15 too came to greet the son of Hades.   
"Nico! How are you? Hello Estrella!"  
"Adam, this is Percy. Percy, Adam is a Sophomore and we're in the soccer team together." grinned Nico, hugging his friend.  
"Hey, Percy. Are you gonna enroll in school?"  
Adam seemed to be a nice guy. From what Percy understood, he had been Nico's first friend in that school and their friendship was strong. He was happy that Nico could have such good friends.   
They chatted until the bell rang and Nico pouted because he couldn't stay with Percy. Estrella chuckled and led Percy to the Headmaster's office.   
The man seemed nice, with a friendly smile. Percy was kind of stunned since he wasn't exactly the perfect student he could get. And yet, he welcomed him warmly, talking about the classes, the clubs and just how glad he was that Percy accepted to visit the school.  
"Erm... I got kicked from over 6 schools in 6 years so... Why are you happy to have me?" asked a shy and unsure youth.   
"Percy... Would you like to come with me for a walk? Missus Nikiforov can accompany us, of course."  
Percy nodded and with Estrella, they followed the Headmaster through the school corridors. He saw classes with glass windows on the doors, where the few students seemed happy to be there.  
"I can boast to be at the head of this school for many years and I've seen most of my students graduate and choose a career in which they can flourish. Most of them keep sending postcards or letters. Do you know Ovid, Percy?"  
"A Roman poet, right? Ars Amatoria and Fasti. A friend of mine likes them."  
He remembered how much Annabeth loved reading those books for hours. She could recite them word for word.  
"Your friend has good taste. I read a quote from Ovid when I was 15: It is a kingly act to assist the fallen. That's how I decided to help people. You see, I think that it is when you reach the bottom, that you can't go deeper, that your only solution is to swim to reach the surface. You've reached the bottom, Percy. You can only go higher, now." smiled Mr. Martins.  
"That's a nice way of thinking but..."  
"Percy. If you don't believe in yourself, then, who will?"   
The son of Poseidon thought about it. If he didn't believe in himself, who would?  
"No one would," he said after some seconds of thinking.   
Mr. Martins and Estrella smiled at him and the visit continued. The classes never had more than 10 students, usually 8, so the teacher could concentrate on each one of them.  
"Many of our students have ADHD, so it won't be a problem if you are feeling restless or fidgety. We also work with a psychologist. She's nice and you can tell her anything. Don't worry about your condition, Percy. I have the Sight and Mrs. Taylor is a Legacy of Apollo." said the Headmaster with a knowing wink.  
.  
At the end of the visit, Percy knew he would be safe here. Coincidence or not, a HeadMaster with the Sight and a psychologist who was a Legacy reassured him. He got to meet briefly Mrs. Taylor and her warm smile and patient attitude made him at ease. He could tell her all the things that happened without making up the truth.   
"So? How did you find the school?" asked Estrella on their way back home.   
"I'll go. Plus, I'll be in Nico's class."  
"He'll be ecstatic." smirked the woman, rolling her eyes.   
Percy chuckled. He was glad that Nico still had his bubbly, overjoyed personality. A reality where Nico was grumpy and angry, full of grudge was hard to conceive.   
Once at home, he helped Estrella to cook lunch, checked if Milo and the other animals had enough food and water before they got a phone call from Simon who asked how was the visit. He had told Percy he would call during his lunch break.   
"Yes, Percy is alright. He even decided to go to school with Nico... Yes, William said it was okay for him to begin on Monday. Hmm, wanna talk to him?" said Estrella to the phone before handing it to Percy.  
Somehow, Hades had made phones and electronics manageable for his children to not attract monsters.   
"Percy, you're alright? No anxiety?" worried the lawyer.  
"Yes, I'm okay. And despite being a shark lawyer, you're such a mother hen." laughed the youth.  
"Haha. I should write that on a tee-shirt or something like that."  
"Excellent idea. We'll look for something like that with Estrella and Nico."  
"Please don't. If you buy something like that, I'll have to wear it at work to show my co-workers how much I suffer at home." chuckled Simon.  
He finally hung up and they ate lunch. As expected, when Nico came home and learned the news, he was overjoyed, all in bright smiles and warm hugs. Milo looked at them, his tail beating a fast rhythm on the floor.   
Things were settling down and Percy could say he was quite happy with how his life turned.


	5. The good father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy has to deal with another difficulty, but Simon is there for him. He will always be there, as he is for everyone in his family. Also, someone from the lawyer's past comes back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are for another chapter. I hope you like it and that you are staying safe, wherever you are. ( ´･･)ﾉ(._.`)

Halloween came quickly and Nico was even more excited than ever. The family had been brainstorming for grouped costumes ideas. The superhero theme was the best. Simon would be Alfred, with Caelina as Robin and Nico as Batman. Jean chose Iron Man, let his beard grow a little to trim it like Tony Stark, and Mathias would be the cutest baby Spiderman ever. Barthelemy would be Superman, with his large muscle. Mathieu and Estrella chose the costumes of Joker and Harley Quinn with Capucine as Lucy. Diane wanted to be Wonder Woman this year. Percy chose Aquaman. More surprisingly, Thomas decided to be Mera for Halloween.  
"Aquaman can't be seen without Mera, duh." was Thomas' answer when Jean asked him.  
They worked for weeks on their costumes, Simon and Diane being good at sewing.   
And finally, on Halloween day, they were all ready. Wearing their costumes, they went trick-or-treating in the streets. Sometimes, they would play some movies scenes or quotes their characters to make the kids in the streets smile. They were dorks, thought Percy fondly as Bart was striking a pose for a kid who had the same costume of Superman.   
By the number of sweets they got, Percy could tell their costumes were a success.   
When they went back home, the children were sound asleep in the adults'' strong arms.  
Percy was chatting with Nico and Diane about school when the son of Poseidon heard a familiar growl.  
"No..."  
The Minotaur was there and by the look of it, Percy was his prey.   
"Nico, you stay with Percy. Diane, with me. Everyone else in the house." said Simon.  
Everyone obeyed and the eldest son made sure no mortal was around. They were lucky since it was late.  
The Minotaur was there, mighty as ever, ready to kill, wanting to kill Percy.   
"Hello there. Why don't we chat a bit?" smirked Simon, changing his watch in a Stygian Iron scythe.  
Diane did the same with her two bracelets to have one Spartan, Stygian Iron sword in each hand. Nico had a long and thin blade in the same steel. They looked ready for war, the costumes didn't change anything.  
The monster stood in front of them. He charged and warded off the attack. But the Minotaur was stubborn and tried to get Percy who was behind Nico.   
The youth wanted to fight, to defend his friends, but he was paralyzed. He couldn't move, couldn't reach Riptide.  
Percy was paralyzed by immense fear.   
He saw Simon and Diane fighting and Nico defending him when the Minotaur came too near.  
Some 10 minutes later, the beast tried again to get Percy, getting closer this time.   
"No, you won't!" shouted Nico, cutting one of the monster's hand.   
They finally could behead the Minotaur and the golden dust covered them all more or less.  
"Dang it, that will be a pain in the everything to wash that off!" complained Diane, changing her weapons back into jewelry.  
"Are you okay... Percy!"  
Percy was kneeling on the asphalt, trying to catch his breath. He was hyperventilating, a cold ball in his chest. He didn't understand what was happening to him. His heart was pounding and he was sweating, he could breathe properly.   
I'm dying... I'm dying... I'll die right now...  
"Percy! It's okay! You are having a panic attack. You won't die. It's okay. You are safe. Do you want to go home?"  
Simon hugged him, holding him against his strong chest, whispering to him that he wasn't going to die.  
"Follow my breath, Percy. Four seconds in, four seconds out. Can you do that for me, sweetheart? That's it. You're doing good."  
Percy tried to follow Simon's slow breathing, listening to his steady heartbeat. After the most painful minutes of his life, the youth could breathe properly and calm himself.   
"I know it's scary, little one. But you're gonna be okay. You are safe."  
They could finally go home after a while. Thomas brewed his best hot cocoa for them and the kids were in bed. Percy sipped slowly his chili pepper cocoa.  
"Do you want to talk with one of us or with Mrs. Taylor?" asked Simon softly, rubbing Percy's back with his large hand.  
"With you? Please..."  
"Of course, little one. Milo can join us if you want. Is your room okay?"  
Percy nodded and Simon gave his instructions.  
"Go take a shower, put your most comfortable pajamas on, relax. I'll join you in 20 minutes with Milo, is that okay with you?"  
"Okay..."  
He knew a shower would help him, with his water-induced regeneration powers. Percy went to the bathroom next to his room and for the next 15 minutes, he just stayed under the shower spray, still and feeling his body relax and regenerate.  
After showering, he put on the shorts and soft tee-shirt Thomas gave him. The tee-shirt was a faded pink with some magical girl on it, totally ridiculous but also inhumanly comfortable.  
Simon was waiting in Percy's room, sitting on the bed with Milo on his lap. He also wore pajamas: a plain undershirt and sweatpants.   
"Feeling better? I thought that cuddles could help you." smiled Simon.  
The man leaned against the headboard, legs and arms spread so Percy could cuddle against him. The son of Poseidon hesitated one second but crawled on his bed to snuggle against his friend. His back was against Simon's chest and the latter hugged him with all his body, reassuring and grounding Percy.  
"So, tonight, you had a panic attack. Do you want to talk about it or want me to tell you everything I know about it?"  
"It was scary... I thought I would die."  
"Those can be frightening, for you, but the others as well. But you won't die because of it."  
"Did you had... Panic attacks?"  
"Indeed. Being on the battlefield stained our souls, I think you know a thing or two about that, Perseus."  
Percy nodded and leaned a bit more against Simon who cuddled him. They stayed like that for a while, the Russian man reciting facts about panic attacks with his baritone voice. It was soothing, as Milo's fur under his hands. Percy felt like falling asleep right now.  
"Sleepy, aren't we? I'll leave you, then."  
"Can you..."  
He never finished his sentence as he fell asleep immediately. Simon smiled and climbed out of the bed, tucking the youth under his blanket. Milo curled next to Percy, closing his eyes too. The eldest Nikiforov kissed the boy's forehead and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind him.  
Nico was waiting in the corridor, looking worried.   
"Is he okay?"  
"He's sleeping."  
"Will he be okay?" insisted the youngest.   
"He'll sleep for maybe 10 or so hours. Maybe he will want to wait for the end of the holidays to talk to Mrs. Taylor. Thomas will most likely prepare a royal breakfast, like any time Jean or myself or any of us had a harsh time. Cuddles will help and it will take time for him to adjust."  
Nico nodded and hugged his brother before heading to his room.  
"Nico?"  
"Yeah?"  
"He was afraid to scare you. Because you mean a lot for him."  
Nico's smile was bright and he seemed happy when he went to his room.  
Simon decided to call it a night and go to bed after checking if the children were asleep.  
Without any noise, he kissed his children's forehead, just like he did for Percy, and smiled fondly to them.  
"Don't you worry, loves. Papochka will protect you from this harsh world. No one will hurt you. Even your mother. You can sleep peacefully. Papochka is here."  
Simon stroked his children's soft hair one last time before Shadow-traveling to his bedroom.  
.  
Percy knew that Simon was a good father. An excellent one. He cared about Caelina and Mathias, about his siblings and his niece. Even Estrella was his sister by anything but blood. As long as you didn't try to hurt someone in his big family, you could be in good terms with him. He had always a bright smile around the kids and beamed when the little one made him something, such as a pasta necklace or a draw of their family. He even wore his new tee-shirt they got him for his and Diane's birthday (they were both born on a 2nd of November). It was a silly tee-shirt but he wore it regularly, under his button-up shirt, with a silly quote ("Lawyer Shark. Doo Doo Doo your work") and they even got him one with another stupid quote ("Lawyers are magical. Like unicorns, only better") that he wore for his jogging. Simon was proud of his family and encouraged them to do what they liked, to follow their passions. He would fight to the death to protect any of them and Percy knew they would do the same for him.  
But on this Saturday morning, the first week of December, as they decorated the tall Christmas tree, the doorbell rang in the house. Caelina, always wanting to run around and give a hand, ran to the front door to open the door. Jean followed her quickly.   
They all went in fighting mode when the little girl shrieked with her high pitched voice. Simon nearly took out his scythe and ran to the entrance of the house. They followed him, Nico and Estrella staying with Capucine and Mathias.  
Percy burst behind Simon who was still, his closed fists shaking and his knuckles white. He looked murderous.  
"Oh, I see you still live with your tribe." said the woman on the threshold.   
"Harriet..." snarled Simon.  
Jean, who was holding Caelina, went to the living room quickly, sending one last nasty glare to the woman.  
She was around 5'8, slim and lithe. Her golden blonde hair was tied in a tight bun and her stormy gray eyes were cold, calculating. By her look, Percy could tell she was a daughter of Athena, one of Annabeth's sisters. But she seemed so cold... He could tell she was the one who hurt Simon all those years ago.  
"I'm here to take my children back. I heard that they were as smart as me. Give them back to me, Simon." she said coolly.   
"You won't have them, Harriet. You have to remember what you told me 2 years ago."  
"Yes, I know they are freaks, just like you and your kin. But those things can be cured, you know."  
"You won't take my children away from me, Harriet."  
Percy could see the shadow shiver and twirl around them by Simon's anger. He looked murderous, ready to kill.  
"And what will you do? Fight me? You can't keep them."  
"I can. I will. End of story. Now, Harriet, leave my house and never come back or you will end on my father's underpants."  
"Is that a threat?" smirked the daughter of Athena.   
"A promise. And unlike you, I always keep my promises. Now leave."  
Harriet's smirk grew and she left.  
"I'll come back. You were always a coward, Simon. You should have killed me the last time we met."  
Simon gritted his teeth and when Harriet left, he could finally breathe again. Jean patted his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, questioning silently his twin-like brother.  
"I... I need 5 minutes, please..."  
"Take as long as you need, brother."  
Simon nodded and stepped into a shadow, letting it swallow him.   
When he disappeared, Jean sighed. He knew his brother needed time to let out the pressure, to not snap in from of the children. Usually, he would go in some disused place or some part of the Underworld and scream his anger, fighting it out until he was too exhausted to move. Jean used to do the same when things were too hard. If he couldn't move anymore, Simon would come home the next day, as if nothing happened.   
Jean knew it wasn't a healthy way to cope, but it was the only one they knew. Talking was great too, but the second son knew that right now, his brother was too angry to do anything else but fight and scream. It was the same on the battlefield. Russian soldiers weren't considered as animals on the battlefield for nothing. The only way to stop them, back then, was to kill them. And sometimes, they surprised their foe by standing up again when everyone thought they were dead.   
Once upon a time, Simon and Jean had been two of those animals. And now, they had to cope with the aftermath. They had to deal with that anger and desire to kill that could come again at any moment. 'Flander's Blues', as the veterans from WW1 called it. PTSD was the name now.  
Jean just hopped his brother would come back before tomorrow.


	6. And the good mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon comes back and Sally makes an appearance! Also, the older Nikiforov loses a bet with one of his brothers and regrets it immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I hope you're doing good today. I'm back for some action with Simon and I added a bit of joke in it. I already made the first part formal, so I wanted to have a little fun at the end. I hope you'll like it. Remember to stay safe, wherever you are.   
> PS: I've never read so much fanfiction per day since Quarantine began.

Simon came back two days later, beyond exhausted. He was covered in dust, blood, golden dust and bruises. Light cuts on his face and hands would probably cause more scars. His clothes were torn in various places. Percy knew that worn-out expression on the man's face. He surely had the same on his face after battles.   
Barthelemy helped his brother to sit on the sofa while Mathieu went to the nearest bathroom to fetch a first-aid kit. Hopefully, the children were with Estrella, Nico, and Thomas at some children's books reading. Even when he was sitting, Simon looked ready to collapse. He leaned heavily against his taller brother while the veterinary healed him.  
"We have only Elsa the Snow Queen band-aids or Spongebob."  
"Elsa, please. I just want to let it go..." sighed Simon.  
"If you have enough energy to joke, then you can tell us why it took you three fucking days to come back," said Jean coolly.  
"Father had a job for me. Percy's friends somehow learned he was alive and are searching for him. I had to distract them."  
"By distracting them, what do you mean?" asked Percy.   
"They had sent a quest. I sabotaged them and did some things at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Don't worry, little one, I did not harm them. They should be busy for 3 weeks or so."  
"How could they knew I'm alive?" said Percy, dumbfounded.   
"Father tried, but he doesn't have the power to block Seers. From what he told me, the Oracle of Delphi had a vision including you and she told your friends."  
"They will bring me back there?"  
Simon's scared and dirty hand found Percy's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.   
"You won't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. Remember what we told you? This is your house for as long as you want. Weeks, months, years. You don't have to go back to Camp, Percy."  
"My mom's probably worried sick..."  
He kept thinking to his mother and Paul as weeks passed. He told his mom about his projects, but she would still worry and be sad. He didn't want her to be unhappy. Not after all the things he did to keep her alive.  
"Do you want one of us to talk to her if you don't want to?" proposed Barthelemy.  
Despite his tall and bulky frame, the young man was soft and gentle as a teddy bear. Just like Goliath the dog. He cared a lot about the ones he saw as family.   
"Could you?" asked Percy to Simon.  
It wasn't that the youth didn't trust the other Nikiforov, but he knew from experience that the eldest son was quite talented to reassure people. He was good at talking (he wasn't the best lawyer in town for nothing) and knowing what people needed to hear. Body language had no secrets to him.  
"Of course, sweetheart. Just let me take a shower and a nap so I won't scare your mom, okay?"  
Percy nodded. Simon promised he would go to New York on the next day. He admired the Christmas tree and put on his decorations where they have left a place for him before heading to bed. He would come downstairs for dinner to see his children and got back for his 'beauty sleep', as he said.  
"You'll need at least that, ugly face," smirked Diane.  
"You should do the same, Anklebiter," answered Simon, climbing the stairs.  
Diane giggled and proposed Percy to help him with his homework. She was the one to help him in literature and languages. He chose advanced Greek as a foreign language, plus basic Russian. It was more a strategic choice than anything, but he liked it and he had the chance to be with Nico in those classes and have 6 teachers at home for Russian. Usually, Jean would help them with maths and everything related while Mathieu took science homework in charge. Percy chooses to be in the art club and could draw quite well. He even developed his drawing style and his teacher seemed to like it. Percy always drew a boy facing mythological monsters or Gods. It was more drawing in life than imagining it, but it came naturally.  
After his homework, he would play for a while with Milo and the other dogs before helping to prepare dinner. Thomas taught him to cook and from the feedbacks, he was good at it. Each weekend, before Grooming Day, they would bake and the professional baker taught him cake decoration. It had been a bit awkward at first, but he could do pretty things now. They would often have Nico's friends (who quickly became Percy's too) and other people to taste the 'sugary goodnesses'. With Nico's birthday coming the next months, Thomas and Percy were scrolling through cake designs. The Myth'O'Magic was, of course, an idea, as the youngest son of Hades kept playing the silly game with his sister (and they kept betting on who would win).   
Percy was thankful for this new life. Maybe he would bake a unicorn cupcake for Hades, to thank him. It would be funny to see his face.  
.  
After sleeping for 15 hours, Simon was ready to Shadow-travel to New York. Percy gave him Sally Blofis's address and the lawyer nodded before stepping in a Shadow.  
Simon found himself in a nice apartment. A woman was in the kitchen, leaning on the counter. She had long, brown hair and sad blue eyes.   
"Madam Sally Blofis?" he called softly.  
Immediately, the middle-aged woman grabbed a long kitchen knife and held it in the son of Hades' direction.   
"Don't you worry, Madam Blofis. I'm one of Perseus' friends. My name is Simon."  
"He never told me about you..."  
"We met after he left you, Madam. You could say he's my guest."  
Sally looked ready to faint and Simon grabbed her before she fell. Once they were sitting on the couch, he rubbed her back soothingly while she cried.  
"How is my baby boy? Is he alright? I... I worried so much when he left..."  
"He's safe and happy. We take care of him. His mind wasn't good when he arrived, but he's getting better."  
"Percy was..."  
"He has PTSD and was depressive, tried to commit suicide," announced Simon.  
Sally sobbed and held her face in her hands. The man continued to rub her back.  
"I knew he wanted to die... But I hoped he wouldn't do it..."  
"He's feeling better now and eats properly. He goes to high school and his teachers are very content of his work."  
"Percy goes to school?" asked Sally, who was more used to her son being thrown off or missing than actually going to school.  
"Yes. And if he continues to work like that, he will get very good grades at his SAT. His teachers believe he could get a scholarship for College."  
Tears rolled down on Sally's cheeks as she understood what Simon was saying. Her baby boy was going to school, had good grades and would go to College. He didn't want to die anymore, could focus on his studies.   
"That's... If what you tell me is the truth... I'm so happy for him... Please tell me... I've only seen him in bad shape those last years."  
Simon nodded and took his phone out of his jean's pocket. During the last months, his siblings and himself had taken pictures of their newest addition. He showed them to Sally who cried even more. In each picture, her son was smiling, even laughing. Of course, Percy didn't know about those, but Simon knew Sally would need to see her son. He would have wished the same if it was about his children.   
"He has a dog?" asked the woman as she watched the third picture of her boy with an Australian Shepherd pup.  
"We are a host family for house pets, but Milo is Percy's favorite. They help each other."  
Sally smiled when she noticed the pup's missing limb and she was in awe with the next pictures. In those, she saw her son baking beautiful cakes and draw even more beautiful pictures.  
"He has a talent for drawing. His art teacher talks with him about joining an art school. They believe in him."  
There was even a video where Percy was cuddling with Estrella and Nico while Thomas tried to convince them that he could sing well.   
"I have the voice of an angel!"  
The other chuckled and Diane sassed him.  
"Who told you that? Yo Mama?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.  
"Yeah, the same who told Simon he was handsome as a prince," answered Thomas, showing them the portrait of those ugly princes from Rennaissance.  
They laughed loudly, nearly hysterical and Sally smiled at the sight of her son crying of laughter.   
"They have a lot of fun at your depends." she chuckled.  
"I'm suffering so much with them." sighed dramatically Simon.  
They spent hours discussing the things Percy did, his subjects at school, his perspective to join an art school, Milo and, of course, his special relationship with Simon's little brother.  
"His name is Nico Di Angelo and my siblings set a betting pool on them. Diane and Thomas are arguing if they will be Pernico or Nicercy."  
Before leaving Sally, Simon had to tell her something.   
"I didn't tell you my full name or where Percy is because no one can get that information. Percy's old friends already know he is alive and tries to find him. They can't know where he is. I can tell you he is safe and happy, cared for. But he can't come back now."  
Sally nodded and waved at Simon when he stepped again in a Shadow.  
.  
When Simon came back home, hours after leaving, Caelina and Mathias jumped on him. He caught the giggling children and lifted them on his hips.  
"Hello, there. Did you have a good day, kiddos? Was Dyadya Jean nice today?"  
"I heard that, Nikiforov!" Jean's voice echoed in the house.   
Simon smiled and rolled his eyes fondly. This man truly had ears everywhere. That or he secretly had microphones everywhere to dominate the world, their house just being the first step of his Machiavelian scheme.   
"You know that's not true!" Jean's voice echoed again.   
"You can't hear my thoughts!" shouted Simon back, walking to the kitchen with his children.  
"You can reassure yourself like that if you want, brother."  
Even when he wasn't seeing him, Simon could hear the smirk in his twin-like brother's voice. Jean was with Diane, both on their laptops, sitting at the kitchen counter. They had their reading (but more for computer in Jean's case) glasses and were typing furiously.   
"Shouldn't you be at College?" asked Simon to his sister.  
"One of my teachers was absent from his lecture. So I finish this assignment before my schedule and get advanced on the lesson we missed today." answered the young woman without looking up from her screen.  
"Good girl."   
Simon kissed her forehead and smiled when she leaned in. He was damn proud of each of his siblings because they were doing what they wanted for a living. It hadn't bothered him when Thomas told him he wanted to do an apprenticeship for bakery, or when Jean fell in love with computer sciences. But he was maybe a bit prouder of his little sister. Back in their time and social class, she couldn't have studied anything, but she took the opportunity to be in a more modern setting to do what she wanted. Diane had been the youngest when they left their time and home, but she had always been told by older women (old hags) that women belonged to the kitchen. Simon, in return, would tell her she could be whatever she wanted. Diane chose to study Russian Language and Literature, to work for the International Affairs, may it be in Politics or Law and Security, she didn't know yet. But either way, Simon would be proud of her.  
He sat his children on chairs and prepared everything for snack-time. It was an old tradition in their family, to have a snack at 4 pm. It was thanks to their French step-father, their mama's husband, and their official father.  
"You think about him?" asked Jean, who seemed to be reading minds again.  
"About who?" asked Simon in return, playing dumb.  
"Papa," answered Diane. "You often think about him, lately. And you always make the same face, like the Thinker of Rodin. Why do you think about him?"  
"I miss them, sometimes... Especially since I'm a father. I would have liked to hear their bits of advice, hear more stories about us when we were younger or maybe about their childhoods. I would not have made some mistakes."  
Jean typed a bit more on his laptop before closing it. He took off his glasses to look at his brother. Diane did the same but looked at the kids.  
"When we arrived here, you had to deal with 4 teenagers and children. Dee was only 4 when they left, and we were both barely 25 when we arrived here. Okay, we went to war, but no one should take care of their younger siblings at 25. Yes, you and I made some mistakes raising them, you did while raising Lina and Mat's, and Mathieu will also make mistakes while raising Capucine. But it's okay. Because nobody's perfect. To err is human, brother. And yes, we are half-human, in case you forgot."  
"Do you think we could look through family albums one evening?" asked Simon with a hopeful smile.  
"Of course. We haven't done that for a while. We could show Percy how pretty mama was. And that you haven't taken after her." smirked Jean.  
"I took after Papa."  
"Yeah, sure. Oh, and Nico found some pretty wicked TV show called Peaky Blinders, and you happen to look like the main actor. Like another twin, I swear."  
.  
"Oh my Gods, that's true! You look like Tommy Shelby! I wouldn't believe it when Dee told me!" squealed Estrella, shaking her older brother-in-law.   
"I think I saw it myself, Estrella. Maybe we'll have to check if we have not a lost cousin somewhere."  
"That's amazing how much you look alike. Except for the haircut and the eyes."  
Simon looked at his brother Thomas, who was already planning something dumb, he could feel it.   
"Come on, spit it out, Tommy." he sighed.  
"Let's make a bet. A tiny, simple bet." proposed the baker.  
The older man sighed again. He was getting too old for this.  
"Fine, what's the bet?"  
"Something quite plain, in fact: if Nico wins his next game of Myth'O'Magic, you will cut your hair like Cillian Murphy. If he loses, I will dye my hair pink."  
"Deal."  
"I'll get the game!" singsonged Diane.  
15 minutes later, the bets were running in the family. Everyone was cheering at each move and none of the players wanted to back down, grinning like maniacs. You could think they were watching some silly sports games on TV, but no, it was a game of Myth'O'Magic.  
"And with my figurine of Hades and his 5000 points of attack, I win, dear sister." eventually announced Nico after a long, shoulder to shoulder battle.  
Loud cheers erupted and Thomas patted his older brother's shoulder sympathetically.  
"You can go to the hairdresser tomorrow for lunchtime, I'll call him in the morning."  
"You damn devil... Hermes' spawns don't have a chance against you."  
"I can confirm that." chirped Percy.  
The next day, late in the afternoon, Simon came back home with a sour face and a new haircut.  
"I'm disgusted..." he said. "Thomas don't you dare to-..."  
"Hello Disgusted. I'm Thomas." smirked the baker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hoped you liked Sally, poor mom, and Simon looking like Cillian Murphy. I had this idea of a 'Russian, dark-eyed Tommy Shelby'(❁´◡`❁) since the character was born. Feel free to tell me what you think about it.


	7. Happiness is not where you think it is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon is living with Harriet when he realizes she's abusing him. With the help of a friend, he comes home, where his siblings are worrying for him. And after some time, Simon realizes, again, that happiness isn't where you are waiting for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. This chapter is based on Simon's past, mainly his relationship with Harriet (remember her?) and his parents, how much he loved them, and misses them today. We also see how Caelina and Mathias came in the Nikiforov household, and a new character appears! He will come back in other chapters, for sure!

Simon didn't notice that something was wrong when he dated Harriet, all those years ago. He wasn't the guy to be seduced by one's body, but by their minds. Back then, his law career was arising, as he won almost all his trials. But at 27, he wanted something more than just a profession. He came from a period where you married young, where you had children at a young age. Now that he had a job, a home, and regular life, Simon wanted a family. Not that his siblings weren't enough, but raising your siblings wasn't the same as raising your children.   
When he met Harriet, he had been seduced by her intelligence and the lies she told him. 'Love makes you blind', had warned Jean, who saw through her at first sight. 'Love makes you stupid', added Simon after his breakup.  
Things weren't smooth with Harriet. She was ambitious and power-hungry. She wanted a powerful husband with influence in the Government. To control him and thus, have influence herself. When Simon would refuse her something, she would become angry and attack him. Something in his mind, a tiny voice (that oddly sounded like Jean), told him it wasn't normal, that his girlfriend shouldn't hit him or that what she demanded him to do wasn't normal. He wanted to see his siblings more than in stolen moments, he wanted to sleep peacefully and not live in the fear of the next tantrum. After another inconspicuous talk with a co-worker specialized in familial matters, he decided to stop this Hell.  
"I'm sorry to tell you that, Simon, but you can't stay with her. She's abusing you. Please leave her."   
Lucas was a good friend, always present for him. He was one of the many people Simon wasn't authorized to frequent anymore. But after many discussions, Lucas managed to convince him that Harriet was an abusive partner.  
"What should I do?"  
Of course, Lucas didn't know about the whole Demigod thing, but he had seen the aftermath of Harriet's outbursts. Bruises, deep scratches, dark circles under his co-worker's eyes, and this haunted look many women he defended in the court had.  
"I will help you. You're living with her, right? After work, we'll go to her apartment and pack your belongings. Where do your siblings live?" asked Lucas, keeping his voice soft yet firm.  
Simon gave him the address with tears in his eyes. He hadn't seen them in a whole month. He missed them.  
.  
Under Lucas' guidance, Simon gathered his belongings. It was just clothes, but he felt better once he was in his car, with his only luggage and his co-worker on the passenger seat.   
"How do you feel?" asked Lucas while they drove to the family's house.   
"I... Lighter, I think. But I fear her reaction..."  
"It's normal. She will probably try to get you back. But you have to know that it will be worse if you go back."  
"She'll try to manipulate me, will she?"  
"Most likely. But you are strong, Simon. I believe in you and your siblings too. You can do this, okay?"  
"... She told me I would be nothing without her..." sighed Simon.   
"She's wrong. You were perfectly fine before her and you will do even better now and in the future."  
Simon felt like crying, but since he was driving, he decided to hold back those tears. After a long while, he stopped the car behind Thomas', a bright pink monstrosity. The sight of the obnoxious machine made him smile.  
"Ready?" asked Lucas.  
"No, but I've got no choice in this."  
"You have a choice. You could stay at my place for some time." proposed his co-worker.   
The dark-haired man shook his head. It wouldn't be the solution.   
"I don't want to hide from them. I've done it enough."  
"It's your decision. But remember that if you don't feel well, my door will always be open for you. For talking, or just drinking in silence, okay?" said Lucas, patting Simon's shoulder.  
"Okay. Would you like to come? I think I'll need moral support."  
"With pleasure. I've never met your family."  
"Believe me, you'll regret it," smirked Simon.   
They climbed out of the car, the taller man taking his luggage and a deep breath. He felt nervous, anxious. How would his siblings react?   
Someone opened the door after Simon pressed the doorbell button.   
"Yes?... Simon?"   
It was Diane, 13 years old Diane. His beloved little sister. Maybe his favorite girl in the world.   
"H-Hey..." croaked the older brother, tears in his eyes.   
Much to his surprise, his sister nearly jumped on him, hugging him tightly.   
"She told us you didn't want to see us anymore! That you hated us! She said she was your favorite girl now..." sobbed the teenager.   
"Oh, Dee... How could I ever hate you? And you are and will ever be my favorite girl in the world. I'm sorry for leaving you for so long."  
Simon knelt in front of the youth and wiped her tears with his thumbs in a fond gesture.   
"I'm sorry for not calling you. I missed your gymnastics competition, right? Sorry for that too."  
The lawyer felt guilty. During his chaotic relationship with Harriet, he was so focused on not making her angry that he forgot about the most important thing: his family.   
"Can we come in? Who's home?"  
"Tommy's still at the bakery, and Bart is with his team. Mathieu and Jean are here. Jean's angry at you."  
"He has every right to be. I want you to meet Lucas, my co-worker, and my friend."  
The young girl looked at the brunette with inquisitive eyes.  
"Is he Harriet's friend?" she asked warily.   
"No. He's a great friend who helped me to pack my things and come back home."  
Diane smiled and ran to hug Lucas.   
"Thank you... For bringing my brother back," she whispered to the mortal.  
"You're welcome," whispered Lucas back.   
"We're having pirozhki for dinner. Are you staying for dinner?"  
"I'd love to. You know, it's a shame I never met you all. Simon talks about you all the time."  
Diane grinned and led the men inside, to the kitchen. Jean was there, cooking pirozhki. Simon smiled, slightly nostalgic. Their mom loved to cook and bake. Pirozhki were their favorite dish.   
"Jean! Simon's back! And he brought a friend!"   
The second son slowly turned to see the three other persons in the kitchen. He was glaring at Simon who gulped. He understood his brother's (nearly his twin brother) anger, but that didn't mean he wasn't slightly afraid.   
"H-Hey..."  
"Care to tell me why the fuck you disappeared for a whole fucking month? Why you didn't answer my calls? Why this... mongrel told me you were better without us?" asked Jean coolly.   
"I... I'm sorry, Jean... I didn't know about the last part. Dee just told me about that. I... realized he wasn't good for me."  
Jean's attitude softened and he walked to his brother, cupping his face with his hands, a sad smile on his face.   
"Of course she wasn't... Love makes you blind. I'm glad you're back. You know we agreed to fly from the nest one day or the other, and Bart is thinking to leave the house. It wasn't the fact that you wanted to leave that made me mad at you. It was your choice. But it was... Harriet."  
"You knew from the start, huh?"  
"I got Mama's 6th sense. And maybe the 7th too."  
Simon chuckled when Jean told him that. Their Mama always told them everyone had 5 senses, maybe 6, but every mom had more. Sense n°6 was for when their children did fooleries. Sense n°7 was for when they weren't happy or when someone hurt them.   
"You sure did."  
The two brothers hugged each other tightly. They had always been like twins, only 8 months apart. Jean had been a premature baby, born at 7 months and half of pregnancy. Back then, he only had a slight chance to survive, but he did and they always considered themselves as twins. Barthelemy, the third son, was only born when they were 6 years old, so they had been by themselves for a long while.   
It was good to hug his brother again, after so long without being allowed to see him. Little things like hugging your siblings shouldn't be forbidden to anyone.   
When they let the other go, Diane was grinning like a maniac, and Lucas was smiling fondly.   
Diane wasn't his favorite girl for nothing, thought Simon. She was smart, bubbly, and always wanted to make people happy. She was also the only girl for 5 brothers and the last born. Even before Barthelemy's birth, Simon had always wished for a little sister. For each pregnancy (there weren't ultrasounds back then), he prayed every god he knew to have a little sister. And after 3 more brothers, the doctor finally came to them, announcing it was a baby girl. In their parent's bedroom, Simon only looked at the little bundle in their Mama's arms. Their Papa was holding Mathieu and Thomas so they could see the baby. It was a second of November, Simon's birthday. This year, he didn't get a birthday party for turning 15. This year, he got a baby sister and someone finally heard his prayers, he thought. For a long while, he would call his sister his 'Gift from Gods', or many other pet names such as 'Princess' or 'My treasure'.  
And seeing her after so long made him feel like he would cry again.   
"Wanna help us to cook? Bart and Tommy should come home soon. Dee, could you fetch Mathieu in his room?"  
The young girl nodded and ran to the stairs, calling for her brother.   
"I think you understood, but my name is Jean. It's nice to meet you." smiled the second son, holding his hand to the second lawyer.   
"Lucas Beausoleil. Nice to meet you too."  
They shook hands and Mathieu came in the kitchen, hugging his oldest brother. Lucas saw the striking resemblance between the siblings. Dark hair, mostly curly, onyx eyes and alabaster skin, thin nose, and high cheekbones. They shared the same Slavic beauty (with a hint of something else) and it seemed that someone did a paste copy for all the siblings. He wondered what their parents looked like.  
"Now, we have Pirozhki to finish. Mat, are your homework finished?"  
The boy nodded and rolled up his sleeves to help his siblings for the cooking part.   
"Come here, Lucas, we'll show you how it's done."  
"I thought you were from Russia, but Simon never tells anyone about his life aside from his siblings."  
"We're all born in St Petersburg. Not the St Petersburg in Florida. Our Dad was from Bordeaux, in France. He took our mom's name and adopted her country and religion when they married."  
"That's... A real proof of love."  
"Indeed. He always told us he had been lovestruck since he saw her for the first time." smiled Simon. "He would have done anything for her."  
Even let another person impregnate his wife when he learned he was infertile, thought the oldest Nikiforov. He had always known for Hades, it wasn't an affair, just an arrangement. Both wanted children and Kristina was willing to love them both. Louis, their father by anything but blood, loved and cherished them as his children. Hades may be their biological father, but Louis raised them, was with them every day of their youth. Back then, and even nowadays, loving the children your wife had with someone else was a great proof of love and abnegation.   
"Simon?" called Mathieu.   
"Yeah? Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."  
"Are you okay?" asked Diane, worried.   
"Of course. I was just thinking about Mama and Papa. How they were with us and what they would tell me today."  
"They would tell you to do what's necessary for you to be happy," answered Jean.   
"I'm sorry for your parents," said Lucas, who understood what wasn't said.  
"Don't. They died when Diane was 5 and we both were 20. They did it to protect us." said Jean.  
"Oh, from USSR, right?"  
"Yeah, from USSR." sighed Simon.  
They all knew that Lucas could never be told about the mythological world. About the truth. When they did come from, who was their biological father. Demigods, children of Hades, children of the past. He would never know that Simon and Jean would probably be dead today, if not from the war, it would be from natural causes. No, Lucas could never know that. It would endanger him.  
"Harriet will come back, no?" asked Diane, biting her lower lip. "To take you back."  
"She probably will. But I won't go back with her. I'm way happier with you."  
When Barthelemy and Thomas came home, they were surprised to see Simon but happy about his return.  
As they had dinner, chatting, and laughing again, Simon thought he could live like that for a while. Children could wait a bit.   
.  
Of course, Harriet tried to get him back. She yelled, sweet-talked, and threatened him, but nothing worked. Thanks to Lucas and his siblings, he stayed strong and ignored her. For a while, he thought she moved on, and he moved on too. At some point, Simon fetched Nico Di Angelo and the young boy joined their family as their little brother. Diane had been over the heels when she learned she would have a little brother. Simon focused his energy between his work and his family. Sometimes, he would go to Lucas' or his friend would join them for dinner or they would go somewhere for lunchtime.   
Three years after Nico's arrival in Washington, Harriet came to their house. She had a baby carriage on the floor and a little girl, not older than three, next to her. Simon looked at her frowning.   
"They are yours. Freaks like you. Keep them, eliminate them, I don't care."  
"Harriet, sorry to break your illusions, but they can't be mine. We broke up nearly five years ago."  
"Do you know the science, Simon? I froze your sperm, hoping to have powerful children, but what do I get? Monster, like you and your kin."  
She left on those words and Simon had to put his anger aside to take care of the children. By the Gods, they didn't have anything for a baby!  
Simon looked at the little girl. She had golden blonde, princess curls, and onyx dark eyes. She looked like she was about to cry.  
"Hey there. My name is Simon. What's yours?"  
"C-Caelina. And it's Mathias," she added, looking at the baby.  
Simon smiled at her. The baby wasn't 6 months old, with a dark mop of hair and grey eyes.  
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Caelina and Mathias."  
"Are you our daddy? Harriet said so."  
"Apparently, yes. But why don't we go inside? One of my brothers makes delicious hot cocoa. Wouldn't that be nice?"  
The little girl nodded and followed him as he took the baby carrier to the kitchen. Thomas was there, baking something, with the youngest of the family doing their homework on the isle.  
"Hey Tommy, I think we'll need hot cocoa here. I'll explain what I know later."  
Children came sooner than he expected, and not how he imagined, but after some reflection and days spent with the children, he knew he was happy. Sometimes, unpredictable things happened, and it was for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter. Feel free to tell me what you think about it, what you think will happen in the next chapter, who will appear. Also, what did you think about Lucas Beausoleil? How will his character be developed in the next chapters?  
> Have a good day/night, everyone!


	8. ...You have to make it happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some spying from Simon and Jean, great decisions have to be taken. A decision that will change everything. Percy is unsure, but he knows what he wants, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, I hope you're doing well. Is quarantine over in your country? It took me a while to write this chapter because I was busy, but it's finally there!

Percy knew the atmosphere in the Nikiforov household was tensed. Since this woman's visit, everyone was on the warpath. They tried to not let anything slip, but the youth wasn't dumb.   
At some point, he managed to get the whole story from Diane. At first, Thomas didn't want her to say anything, and they argued about that.   
"He's living with us and she saw him! If she recognized him, you know what she will do! He better be prepared for what may come."  
The 4th son had sighed but let her do what she wanted. He waved her away and the two friends settled in the garden, Milo on Percy's lap and King Arthur on Diane's. Nico joined them and sat next to the youth, their shoulders and knees touching. Diane grinned like a maniac but quickly regained her seriousness.  
"Simon doesn't like to talk about himself. To be frank, I understand. But sometimes, you have to do things you dislike."  
She told him the whole 'Harriet-incident' and at the end of the story, Percy was utterly outraged. He was positively sure that what this poor excuse of a woman did was highly illegal. And seriously? Dumping your children like that, calling them monsters and saying they were useless? Many people told Percy he was stupid, useless, and many other things, but he always had his mom on his side. She would always tell him how wonderful he was, how she would be nothing without him. He couldn't imagine a mother being like that to her children. A father, yes. He grew up with Gabe and would never forget it. But most of the mothers he met would do anything for their children as if it was part of their Mothers' Curriculum. It had surprised him, of course, to see that Caelina and Mathias never talked about their mom, but they had Estrella as a motherly figure (Diane was more the funny aunt/big sister than a mother). He figured that maybe their mother was dead, or she had to leave for some reason.   
It had been a shock, to 'meet' Harriet. Especially when he remembered what Nico told him on his first day at the Nikiforov's: Their mom was a daughter of Athena. One of Annabeth's older sisters. He didn't know how she would take the fact that one of her half-siblings was a potential psychopath.   
"I didn't tell you this just for the sake of telling a story, Percy. What I want you to do is to realize that she can be dangerous. For our family, but also you."  
"How?"  
"She didn't fight in the Wars, but it's easy to recognize one of your kin. Those eyes aren't the inheritance of any God, you know. She could mistake you for a child of Triton, but the chances are too slight."  
"And if she recognized me, she could go to Camp Half-Blood and reveal my location."  
"Exactly. That's why Simon and Jean are going to Camp Jupiter, to see if Hazel has heard about anything. She doesn't know about you being here, but Simon is considered as the Ambassador of Pluto. It wouldn't be weird of him asking questions. He did it before."  
Percy nodded and looked inside. It was weekend, so no one was working and those who moved out were at home for the day. Estrella was with Thomas, sipping tea and playing with the kids, while Mathieu and Barthelemy were out for a run. Jean and Simon were preparing for a trip to Camp Jupiter. When they went downstairs, the eldest Nikiforov made a bee-line to the youngs in the garden.   
"Behave while we're gone. We won't be gone for long, probably back for dinner. There's a chance we go to Camp Half-Blood to spy a little."  
They stepped in shadows at the end of the garden and disappeared.  
"Okay guys, let's get down to business," said Diane, suddenly deadly serious.   
"To defeat the Huns?" tried Nico.  
"So, Percico or Nicercy?" asked the young woman, ignoring her brother. "That's serious, guys. I have a 30 dollars bet to win."  
The boys just blushed furiously.  
.  
Simon and Jean appeared in a corner of a room in Camp Jupiter where they could sense Hazel Levesque, the daughter of Pluto. Thus, their younger sibling. Or not, damned timelines.   
"Simon? Jean? It's been a while!"  
"I see you rose in ranks." smiled Jean, hugging the young girl.   
Simon did the same and looked at the girl. She told them how she became a Praetor and the twin-like brothers felt pride fill their hearts. They couldn't see her as much as they would have liked, but that didn't mean they loved her less.  
"We are proud of you, Hazel."  
"I guess you aren't here to praise me."   
"You are right. With your new position, if a new rumor was spread, you would hear of it, right? Even in Camp Half-Blood?"  
"Of course. And there's a new one. A woman came at the Greek Camp and told Chiron that Percy Jackson was alive and that she knew where he was. I told him about you when we went on my first quest. But no one heard about him for months. Everyone thought he was dead. And I felt Death around him, you know. He was quite depressed."  
The eldest sons of Hades frowned and looked at each other before hugging Hazel again.  
"Thank you for your time and your information. We will come back soon."  
"Is he okay? I mean, Percy."  
"Yeah, he is." smiled Jean. "But keep that for yourself, okay?"  
The girl nodded and looked at her brothers who stepped again in a shadow. She knew that her friend would be fine with them.  
.  
It wasn't the first time that Simon and Jean went into Camp Half-Blood. They went, many years ago, when Thomas and Mathieu were young. But they quickly left when they realized that no Greek Demigod would accept them. Not with all the prejudices and beliefs on Hades, and those beliefs reverberated on his children. Old rivalries and grudges had cost many lives. Too many.  
Jean, hidden in the nearest shadow of the forest, looked at Camp Half-Blood, bursting with life as ever. They Shadow-traveled to the Big House, where Chiron was discussing something with Dionysos. They couldn't approach too much without being discovered by the Greek God. But he looked in their direction and winked. Okay, that was not planned.  
"You're telling me that this daughter of Athena knows where Perseus Jackson's body is?" asked Dionysos.  
"Not his body. According to her, Percy is very much alive, and he found help to stay hidden. Rachel couldn't tell where he was exactly, but with that new information, we could send a quest to fetch him and bring him back here."  
"Chiron, you promised that kid it would be over after Gaea's war. And promises should not be broken. He's probably happier where he is, dead or alive. Leave him alone."  
"We have to get Percy back. His place is at Camp Half-Blood. Not anywhere else."  
"Chiron, this woman, Harriet. She told you he was living with Demigods, right? Children of Hades. Not a child, but children. In the plural, Chiron. That means at least two powerful Demigods with great powers and the will to keep the lad with them."  
"They can't beat an army, let's be realistic."  
Dionysos sighed and his eyes held that crazy anger Simon knew too well. He saw it on one occasion and would never forget it.  
"I met many children of Hades during those millenniums. Each one of them was among the most powerful warriors of their time. They could raise an army twice bigger than ours if it pleased them. You shouldn't take them lightly. Remember that one who could control crowds just with his words?"  
"Charm-speaking is an ability mastered by two daughters of Aphrodite. We don't have anything to fear on that point."  
Simon frowned. He knew that Chiron never liked them, from the beginning. He let the other kids bully Thomas and Mathieu (or at least try, which caused many pants to be set on fire by the youngest son), did anything in his power to make them leave. It worked, but now, the old centaur seemed to have forgotten about them. Maybe he didn't, maybe he played stupid.   
"You shouldn't underestimate children of Hades, Chiron. Especially when they have something to protect. They won't hesitate one second to raise the whole Underworld if it was to protect one of their kin."  
"They won't be a menace for us."  
Again, Dionysos looked at the two men in the shadows. Simon nodded and decided it was their cue to leave. He took Jean's arm and they Shadow-traveled back home. It was late, but they had some minutes until dinner time, to clean up and change their clothes to something more casual.   
"You two, we have to talk. Your room, Simon. Right now." snapped Thomas, looking infuriated.   
His older brothers followed him and closed the door behind them.   
"What happened?"  
"Harriet fucking happened."   
"Did she came here? Are the kids okay? What about Percy?" immediately worried Simon.  
"They are fine. This bitch only called the landline. But she said bullshit about an army or something like that. What did you learn there?"  
"Hazel is the new Praetor in Camp Jupiter. She heard about a woman, a daughter of Athena who said she knew where Percy Jackson is."  
"You mean that Harriet went at Camp Half-Blood? She told Chiron, of all persons that Percy was alive?"  
Simon nodded and his younger brother sighed. He was 17 when he and Mathieu went to Camp Half-Blood. He saw Chiron's manipulations, he suffered because of them. Now, you couldn't say the centaur's name without making Thomas wince because of the bad memories.  
"So? What else did you learn?"  
"We spied a bit, as usual. But this time, Dionysos let us come closer. He was discussing with Chiron. That crazy old horse is thinking we couldn't beat his army of brats." snickered Jean.  
"We must stay cautious. We don't know when they could attack."  
"The best form of defense is attack," said Barthelemy, coming in the room with Mathieu. "Estrella is with the kids," he added, closing the door.  
The men knew that by the term 'kids', he was talking about the youngest of the family: Diane, Percy, Nico, Caelina, Mathias, and Capucine. Mathieu's wife had learned to defend herself, courtesy of marrying a Demigod, but it wasn't easy to fight something you couldn't identify as a threat for your family. Hopefully, they didn't encounter monsters often thanks to their father's camouflage, but it wasn't a reason to go lax on security. They trained a bit every day and did longer sessions during weekends and holidays. It wasn't easy to combine a normal professional/school life with the Demigod lifestyle.   
"You think we should attack before they attack us?"  
"At least show them who they want to attack. You know, as an overview."  
"Great idea, Mat. But we have to make that Grand enough so they won't follow Chiron's orders to march over Washington. And we have to convince Dee and Percy. That will be the hardest part of the plan." said Jean.  
Simon and Mathieu sighed together. Percy could maybe understand the necessity to do this, but their sister? She was stubborn, deadly stubborn, even more than her lawyer brother, who never let anything go.  
"Well, as a lawyer, you are the best fitted to convince her. It's, like, your job. Good luck brother." smiled Jean, patting his brother's shoulder. "Now let's have dinner or the ladies will tear us a new one for being late."  
"Traitor..." muttered Simon under his breath, following his brothers downstairs.  
Dinner was indeed ready and they sat around the large table.   
"What's bothering you?" asked Nico to his oldest brother.  
The teenager was sitting between Caelina and Percy, looking at Simon with his dark eyes. The ones who didn't hear their conversation looked worried.  
"Well, this will probably be the best moment to talk about this. Before I explain, I want you all to listen until the end, no one walking out of this room before we're done, okay?"  
He waited until everyone nodded and began.  
"Harriet went to Camp Half-Blood and told Chiron about you, Percy. We will have to go there again for further information, but he plans to get you back. Before I continue, Percy, you have to tell me if you want to go back there or not. It's very important."  
Percy took his time to think about it. Yes, he missed his mom, Annabeth, and he wanted to meet his little sibling. But he felt at ease here. He could go to school, his teachers helped him to build his projects for college, he talked with Mrs. Taylor regularly... And there was Nico. He didn't want to leave Nico. And the Nikiforovs were like a family to him, now.   
"I want to stay here... I want to go to college, build myself a life without wars... But I want to see my mom again, Annabeth too... I... If I go back, they will manage to put me in another prophecy or another war. I don't want that, even if it means waiting to see my mom and Annabeth. I'm staying."  
Simon nodded and Nico squeezed Percy's hand under the table.  
"What do I have to do?" asked the son of Poseidon.  
"We will go to Camp Half-Blood tomorrow. They aren't expecting us. We have to put on a little show. Maybe take out our best clothes and use our powers a bit. Just to show them who they want to attack."  
"Woah, Woah, slow down, tiger! What do you mean by that?" asked Diane.  
"You may show them what you can do. I don't ask you to kill them. Maybe immobilize them some seconds."  
The young woman sighed deeply. Simon felt sorry for her, but they had no choice. She had to use that peculiar power she had. No one knew where it came from, or their father didn't find it important to tell them, but Diane somehow had a form of Charmspeak, more powerful and terrifying when she couldn't control it. Which happened a lot when she was younger. That was why she was so reluctant to use it.  
"Okay. I think that scaring them is in my cords. We'll do it."  
"Great. After dinner, we'll pick up some clothes for tomorrow and decide on what we'll do."  
Everyone nodded and dug in their plates.   
"I helped to make the samosas, Papochka!" grinned Caelina.  
"Really? I'm proud of you, my big girl." smiled her father. "That's delicious."  
The little girl beamed under the praise and explained to her father and Dyadya Jean how she helped Dyadya Thomas and Tetya Diane to cook dinner.   
"You take them from the cradle, your apprentices, Tommy," smirked Jean.  
"I only take the bests from the bests." smirked the baker. "And my niece happens to be a pretty good sous-chef."  
"Yay!"  
After dinner, they decided on the organization of the next day. They knew that the first impression was the most important. They had to strike a blow.   
"Why don't you all wear those suits you keep for important days? Dee has the same. It would be perfect, in a gang or mafia impression. A Peaky Blinders impression, if I can say." smiled Estrella, rummaging through Simon's dressing.  
"Can someone stop with that show?" asked the older Nikiforov to his snickering family sitting on his bed.  
"The dark suits seems to be an excellent idea. We would be stunning, intimidating, and powerful looking. Everything we want! I'm voting for the fancy suits." smiled Diane, raising her hand.  
"Go for the costumes. Wake up at 7, departure at 8:30 am. I don't want to hear anyone complain, go to bed early."  
"I'll stay with the kids tomorrow. Let's go back home, love. We'll be there at 8 am sharp. Good night everyone. Bart, it's getting late, you want a ride?"  
The 3rd son nodded and waved goodbye to everyone before leaving with his brother and sister-in-law with their baby.   
Once everyone was in bed, Nico opened his bedroom door, tiptoeing to Percy's.   
"Hey," he whispered, climbing on his boyfriend's bed.  
Milo was sleeping on Percy's other side but said nothing when his human moved to cuddle with Nico.  
"I don't know if I took the right decision..."  
"I don't think there was the right decision, but you made your choice. We couldn't decide for you, but we would have understood if you wanted to go back."  
"I don't. But I want to see my mom again and introduce you to her, to Annabeth too, maybe the others. I want to meet my little sister and see Paul again. But I don't want to lose what I built here."  
"Whatever you decide, I will support you. We will always be there, okay?"  
Percy nodded and snuggled closer to his boyfriend, his head resting on Nico's chest.   
Maybe he took the right decision. They would know tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to add this little power for Diane, as well as for Mathieu. Did you guessed what his additional power was? Where could it come from? Legacy? Blessing? How do you imagine their arrival at Camp Half-Blood?


	9. First impression...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nikiforovs took things in hands and say 'hello' to Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth makes her come-back and a son of Ares gets a little frightened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this one took time, and I'm still not utterly satisfied. I wanted their entrance to be great and not rushed. I hope you like it.

As promised, Simon went to each room (except the children's room) to wake the sleepyheads up. He wasn't surprised to find Nico's room empty and two persons in Percy's bed. It was common, by now, so he just awakened the teenagers up.  
Thomas, who was used to wake up way too early, was already up, making breakfast for everyone.  
"I made a Japanese breakfast. We need energy and Miso soup is great for cholesterol and the intestinal flora." said the baker with a worried voice.  
"Low cholesterol and great intestinal flora are going to help us today." smiled Simon.  
"Don't joke with me, 001," warned Thomas, waving his spatula threateningly.   
"I wouldn't dare, 004."  
"Are the other double 0's coming?"  
"I'll make another tour to make sure everyone woke up."  
Simon did what he said and went to everyone's room. Jean was coming down the stairs, still in pajamas. Percy and Nico were slowly waking up, while Diane was undoing her sleeping braids.   
"Tommy made a Japanese breakfast. You should hurry before Jean wolf it down." said the eldest son to the sleepy young ones.  
He checked that his children were still sound asleep in their twin beds, stroking their hair for a minute, and putting the travel baby bed together before going back downstairs.   
His siblings and Percy were already sitting at the table, so Simon joined them.   
"Mat and Bart sent a message. They'll be there at 8."  
"Okay. Thanks for the food, Tommy."  
The food was delicious, as always, and it would give them the energy they would need for today's events. Using their powers was energy-consuming, so if they would probably feast tonight if they didn't make it for lunch.   
At 8 am sharp, Barthelemy, Estrella, and Mathieu with a sleepy Capucine in his arms arrived and the last son immediately put his daughter in bed with her cousins.  
"You need to dress up. I don't want a single hair standing out. Dee, to your bathroom, I brought my material with me. We'll be done in 15 minutes. Gentlemen, go dress up. Percy, I brought you a suit and everything you'll need."  
Everyone nodded and went to the bathrooms. Estrella led her sister-in-law to the girls' bathroom and made her sit on a stool to do her makeup and hairstyle. She was a beautician in a nice beauty salon/hairdresser and often did Diane's makeup. It was a shared moment both women appreciated since it was Estrella who taught Diane nearly everything she knew on makeup and girls' things. Growing up with 5 big brothers wasn't easy all the time and a female presence was great for a little girl who grew up without a mom.  
"You did apply the aloe vera and olive extract gel I gave you. Your skin is well moistured and perfect. Great job."  
"Thanks. What will be today's colors?"  
"We'll highlight your lips, today, with that new lip ink: Pioneer red," said Estrella, showing the ink tube to the young woman who smiled. "It will show your pretty smile even more and make you look gorgeous."  
"Okay, do your magic, Fairy Godmother."  
15 minutes later, Diane could look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes only had a clean eyeliner dash shaped like wings and mascara, while her lips took all the attention. Bright red and pouty lips. Her hairstyle was nicely done, too, in a messy bun with some curls falling around her face and in her neck. She was already dressed in her back suit with a white V-necked top. Her weapons-bracelets were already around her wrists and she put on her black pumps.  
"You will turn heads, pretty girl! If you don't have a touch before you leave this camp, I quit my job!"  
"Don't say things like that."  
"Dee! Come downstairs!" yelled Mathieu.  
The women joined the men who were all wearing suits with white shirts, except Percy, who had a navy blue colored one.   
"My, my, what a sight. If you want to impress them, you're doing it right, boys. Percy, come here for a sec."  
The youth obeyed and grinned when the Latin woman arranged his hair.  
"I'm glad we got you a haircut last week. Keep those messy, it looks good on you. Nice man bun, Di Angelo. Keep that one on to make Percy fall."  
"Thanks for the advice, Nikiforov."  
"Okay, thank you for the bits of advice, Estrella, but it's time for us to go. And you did wonders on Diane. A huge miracle, really." teased Simon.  
"Shut up, Ugly-Head!"  
Simon growled something about ungrateful siblings before regaining his seriousness.  
"According to Percy, at this hour, most of the campers will be going out of their Cabins to head for breakfast. We'll Shadow-travel there. Nico, I assume you take Percy? Don't forget, circle formation, to maximize our effectiveness. We need to impress, not fight."  
"Surprise will keep them still for some minutes while we introduce ourselves, but after that, we may have to fight," said Jean.  
His siblings and Percy nodded. Mathieu kissed Estrella goodbye before they gathered the shadows of the room to disappear.  
.  
Annabeth was astonished to see the shadows around the Hearth move and take shapes. Human shapes, she noted, before the shadows vanished to show people standing in a circle around the Heart. The campers were gathering to join the Dining Pavilion for breakfast. Everyone seemed surprised that someone could break the protections surrounding them.   
They were 8, all wearing fancy suits. All men with dark hair, except the one facing Cabin 6, Annabeth's cabin. It was a beautiful young woman, around 20, with charcoal eyes, marble-like skin, and a messy bun of midnight hair. With her suit, pumps, and pretty face, you could think she was a model or something. When the woman noticed that the daughter of Athena was staring, she winked at her, making Annabeth blush.  
"Do you have any idea of who they are?" asked Malcolm, one of her half-brothers.  
"No," said the daughter of Athena, drawing her sword out of her belt. She never went anywhere without it, even slept with it. Her siblings called her paranoïd, but she just couldn't let go of this item that held so many (painful) memories.  
Annabeth lied on that point. One of the persons, facing Cabin 3, seemed familiar to her. Jet black, shaggy hair, shorter than she remembered, tanned skin visible on his neck and hands, a swimmer's body. He was painfully similar to Percy, but she knew it was impossible. Percy had left a suicide letter to his mom and Chiron. He wasn't in the living world anymore.   
"Good morning, Camp Half-Blood." said the person next to the woman.  
His voice was calm, somehow soft, nearly a whisper, but she knew that every one out of the many Cabins heard him.   
"Who're you?" spat Sherman Yang, Cabin 5's counselor, his sword in hand.  
"My name is Simon, little one." smiled the man.  
Sherman choked on nothing while the man's -Simon- smile grew slightly. He had a very short undercut, charcoal eyes, and his suit with shiny silver cufflinks and tie clip reminded her of a lawyer or something else. He radiated sheer authority and power.  
"How dare you calling me l-"  
"Shut up." said the only woman of the group, with a voice that echoed strangely.   
Sherman continued to yell, but no sound came from his mouth. When he noticed he didn't produce sound anymore, he tried to yell even louder.   
"My name is Annabeth Chase, I'm a daughter of Athena. Can you tell me who you are exactly and what you're doing here?" tried Annabeth with her most diplomatic attitude.   
"As I said, my name is Simon. My siblings and I are children of Hades. We are here to talk with Chiron."  
"Someone goes fetch Chiron, please." ordered Annabeth, not leaving their 'guests' with her eyes.  
She saw a son of Hades briefly, years ago. His name was Nico Di Angelo and she only saw him some seconds before she had been abducted. He had a sister named Bianca who died shortly after. Nico didn't make it either, disappearing before they went back from their quest. Annabeth knew all those things because Percy felt guilty about the Di Angelo siblings' deaths, often talking about them. She knew it was Nico's death which triggered Percy's depression. He couldn't bear this little boy's disappearance. People died, during the battles, but a child's death was always hard, especially during a relative peace.  
As she ordered, a young son of Aphrodite ran to the Big House, yelling for Chiron to come.   
Annabeth saw the one who was familiar with her turn on his spot and her heart missed a bit when she saw his face.   
It was Percy.  
Percy, with shorter hair, sparkling sea-green eyes, and a small, shy smile on his lips. He looked healthier than he had in the past 4 years, less sad. The dark purple bags under his eyes were gone and he gained some welcomed pounds of muscle. His cheeks weren't hollowed as they were the last time she saw him.  
"Percy..." she croaked, tears rolling down her cheeks.   
"Hey, Wise-Girl... Please don't judo flip me again." he smiled.  
"Are you..."  
"He's very much alive." said another man with thin glasses. "I'm Jean," he added at the exact moment the blonde girl wondered who he was. "No, I can't read minds."  
He could do it, though Annabeth and Jean's smirk grew wider. Oh yes, he could. And that was quite terrifying. Knowing that someone else than yourself could know what you could think, what you wanted to do. But reading minds wasn't common among Demigods. Where could someone get such a gift?  
Chiron arrived at the same moment, looking more worried than ever. His hair seemed grayer than the day before and he had a deep frown on his face.   
"May I know the reason for your presence here?"  
"We are here because of your project to retrieve young Perseus Jackson."  
"You don't have a word to say in that decision," said Chiron.   
"Indeed we do, but I think it is better to ask the man concerned in this story, don't you Chiron?"  
At those words, Percy turned to face the centaur before waving at him.  
"Hello, Chiron. It's been a while. I agree with Simon. I should have my word to say in that decision."  
"And will be that word?"  
"I don't want to be dragged in battles anymore. Or at least, I want to fight my own battles. I know that if I stay here, there will probably be another prophecy, another war, and I don't want that anymore. So until everyone will be able to live in peace with the others, I will stay away from Camps and this world."  
"Do you realize that we might need you at any moment, Percy?"  
"I gave you 6 years, two wars, and countless of lives, Chiron. Don't you think that's enough? I won't come back. And don't even try to search for me, because I might not be as forgiving as I have been toward my enemies until now."  
"I suppose you heard him, all of you? Now, we should go back home."  
The woman snapped her fingers and Sherman, who hadn't stopped screaming, could make noise again.   
"What the Hell was that?! You fuckers!" he yelled, running to the nearest child of Hades.  
It was a man, with tattoos on his knuckles and dark hair tied in a man-bun. He smirked and just raised one hand before fiddling his fingers. Immediately, Sherman yelled, but for another reason. He was terrorized by the skeletons' hands grabbing his ankles and was letting out high pitched screams that could be mistaken for a little girl's.  
"Come on, don't tell me a proud and mighty son of Ares like you is scared by some bones?" teased the tattooed man.   
"I think that will be enough, Thomas," said Simon. "We will go back home and you won't hear any more about us. But one last thing: a daughter of Athena named Harriet came to you and told you that she knew where young Perseus was. I will personally take care of her. If I hear any other rumor about coming to fetch anyone under my care or hurting them, even your Godly parents won't help you. Now excuse us, but we have a business to attend somewhere else."  
Annabeth's eyes widened as she saw the shadows rising again to spiral around the intruders. She couldn't let them leave. She couldn't let Percy abandon her again.  
For the first time in her life, she didn't think about her actions. Her body moved before she could.   
Letting go of her sword, she ran to the nearest child of Hades and tried to grab them.  
"WAIT!!"   
The scream came out of her lungs as she was engulfed in the cold shadows.


	10. ... is decisive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth follows the children of Hades and Percy. After a decisive meeting and fight, she's welcome to the Nikiforov's household. Things can only get better with Percy by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm finally back. There were so many ways to introduce Annabeth to the Nikiforovs, but I could only write one. I hope you like it. Feel free to tell me what you thought about this chapter. Have a good day, guys!

Annabeth was convinced she did something wrong when she moved and grabbed this daughter of Hades to go with them. At this instant, she only wanted to follow Percy. She couldn't let her best friend abandon her again.   
Shadow-traveling without being prepared wasn't the best idea she had in her life. It was hot and cold, turning your insides upside down, and utterly disorienting. When they landed, Annabeth yelped and fell on the ground. She stood on her feet quickly and looked at the person in front of her. It was the daughter of Hades, looking disheveled and annoyed.  
"Could you tell me why you followed me?"   
The dark bracelets on her wrists became two Stygian Iron swords and Annabeth knew she would be doomed if one of those merely cut her skin. Her soul would be sucked into the sword, making the weapon stronger and keeping her to go to the Underworld for rebirth. By habit, the blonde took her sword and squared off as the other woman did.  
"Don't make me hurt you, Beauty. What were you thinking?"  
The daughter of Athena blushed when she heard the pet name. She wasn't the one called 'Beauty'. Piper, Drew and the other children of Aphrodite were. Daughters of Athena? They were 'smart', 'nerdy', and many other things, but no 'beauty' material.  
Seizing the opportunity, the daughter of Hades attacked her with all her strength. And damn, she was strong. Annabeth was certain that without the jacket, she would see her biceps bulging. She avoided the two fearsome blades and tried to attack her opponent. But the woman was stronger and had quicker reflexes. Let's not mention the crazy powers she displayed at Camp. Annabeth understood that one word could be her end. A plain order like 'stop breathing' or even 'die' would be fatal.  
"Answer." was the only echoing word she heard.  
"I don't want to be abandoned again!" screamed Annabeth, hitting the two swords again.  
"You could have died!"  
"I don't care! I let him leave me once, it won't happen twice!"  
"I could kill you." snarled the dark-haired girl. "One word and you would be dead. One cut and your soul would be imprisoned into my blades forever. Is that what you truly want, daughter of Athena? Endless despair? Damnation? Or maybe you want to pay for what you consider being your fault?"  
"It's my fault! I let him drown into depression and try to commit suicide! I wasn't there to help him!" sobbed Annabeth.  
She fell on her knees, drained of all anger and will to fight. She just wanted to curl together in a dark corner and cry until there was nothing left of her.   
"When I read his letter, I wanted to die too! He was my best friend, and I abandoned him!"  
"You didn't leave him. He had to leave this sick camp to find a place where he could be happy. And I can say he found it. He learned to be happy."  
Annabeth was sobbing loudly, now, her body shaking and her breath erratic. She wanted that coldness in her chest to stop, she wanted everything to stop.   
"Please kill me... I abandoned him... I deserve to die... He would be happier without me."  
The daughter of Hades knelt in front of her and wrapped her arms around the crying blonde.  
"What..."  
"This is called a hug, in case you forgot. It's meant to comfort people who aren't feeling well. I see you don't feel well, thus, I hug you."  
Annabeth couldn't help but let out a dry, broken chuckle and closed her eyes when she felt a soft hand stroking her curly hair. She was right, it was comforting. She nearly forgot how it felt, to be comforted by someone.   
"It's okay, to cry and be sad. But it wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself. Percy is happy now. He's better, but he'll be even better with you in his life again. Shh, it's okay."  
Annabeth couldn't time how long they spent in this place she didn't look at. The only things that mattered right now were the hand petting her hair, the other one on her back, and that smooth voice whispering sweet nothings to her.  
When she stopped sobbing, the hand in her hair didn't stop its magic work. They stayed like that some minutes before the blonde crawled back to move away from the other woman.  
"Erm... Sorry about that. I wasn't..."  
"You don't have to be sorry. I'm Diane, by the way. And it's okay to have a breakdown becomes too much."  
Annabeth noticed that Diane was smiling and didn't seem bothered by the fact that she was ruining her expensive suit by kneeling in the grass and dust.  
"Tell me, Annabeth, did you had those thoughts for long? About being guilty and wanting to die. I'm sorry to bring that out right now, but that's important."  
"I... Since Percy began his depression, I tried to help him, but the more he drowned into it, the more I felt guilty for not being able to help him."  
"Okay. That makes a while. We're going to make a deal, okay? Just you and me."  
"What kind of deal?"  
Diane didn't seem bothered by the snot staining her white top or her disheveled hair coming out of her bun. Annabeth noticed that even if she wiped her mouth earlier, her lipstick stayed put.   
"We're both gonna go to my family's place, where Percy currently lives. I will take you there, that's my part. Yours will be harder: you will stay and let us help you, take care of you."  
"Why would you do that?" asked the blonde, dumbfounded.  
"Your best friend asked the same thing. We put him back on his feet and gave him everything he would need to begin a life of his own. Support, affection, friends, family, even school. You will probably wonder what is the price for this."  
Annabeth nodded. She wanted to find the trick in this proposition, but deep inside, she wanted to believe that someone could be kind enough to help someone as broken as she was.  
"There are only some things you could consider as a price: while you're staying with us, and even after you leave, you're gonna take care of yourself, be honest, with yourself and the others. If something bothers you, say it, the same thing if you want or need something, if you're sad, hurt, or upset. You can't get better if you keep everything for yourself."  
"Why are you doing this?"  
Diane smiled and stroked the daughter of Athena's hair.  
"Dr. Wayne W Dyer, a very wise man, said that 'When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.' And not only I like making the right choice, but I also want to be kind. So, are you willing to come with me?"  
"Your siblings won't be mad at you?"  
"We all bring strays at home. I won't be the first, nor the last. Now, you can come if you want. Its near lunchtime and they will have my head if I'm late."  
The dark-haired woman stood up and helped Annabeth to do the same. She asked if she was ready and the other Demigoddess nodded before the Shadows swallowed them.  
.  
"Diane Lioudovna Nikiforov, I swear to every God up there that- Oh, Miss Chase, what brings you in our house?" smiled Jean when he saw Annabeth, cutting the swearing.   
"Erm... I... I'm sorry, I should leave..." sputtered the young Demigoddess.  
"No, it's okay. I didn't mean it like that. If Diane brought you here, then you are more than welcome. I was just surprised, that's all. Please follow me. We were about to have lunch."  
Diane patted Annabeth on her back and led her to the dining room/kitchen where everyone was gathered. Many, many persons, most of them with dark hair and onyx eyes. Percy was there and he stood up and hugged her tightly.   
"It's good to see you here, Wise Girl. Now come. Estrella made some French recipes from her mom."  
Jean grabbed an extra chair and settled it between Percy and himself. Diane sat on the other side of the table, between Simon and a little boy she kissed on the top of his head.  
"I think we should introduce everyone before we eat. It's okay if you don't remember the names' right now." smiled the so of Hades with glasses. "My name is Jean Nikiforov, and this one is Simon, my big brother, with his two minions: Caelina and Matthias, your niece and nephew by the way."   
Annabeth nodded and looked at the two children who shared both Hades' and Athena's traits. Okay, she was an aunt.  
"Superman's name is Barthelemy, and our die-hard biker-like baker is Thomas. Next, you have Mathieu and Estrella, his fair lady, and their little flower: Capucine. Gremlin and Troll over here are Diane and Nico, the youngest ones. And I won't offend you by introducing your best friend. Everyone, this is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."  
Nico and Diane grunted something about annoying brothers but the young woman still smiled at Annabeth.  
"Now, let's eat. Ladies and youngest first. Welcome to this utterly crazy household, Annabeth." smiled the other woman.  
"Thank you... Estrella?" tried the blonde.  
"Exact! Now give me your plate. I hope you like Provencal Tian and Daube. My mom gave those recipes to me."  
They ate in a good atmosphere, chatting, laughing, and savoring a good meal. After Barthelemy and Percy cleaned the dishes, and everyone helped around the kitchen, Annabeth's best friend gave her a tour of the house, introducing the animals at the same time.  
"That's Milo. We're best buddies, right boy?"  
The daughter of Athena smiled and petted the three-legged dog who grew consequently since Percy's arrival. He was now a beautiful and healthy adult dog who adored Percy and followed him everywhere he could.   
"You're happy," noted Annabeth with a fond smile.  
"Yes, I am. I learned to be happy. They are amazing, you know."  
"I saw that. That's great. I would have liked to be there for you..."  
"Hey, don't be sad, Wise Girl. You're here now, and it's all that matters. We will be there for you like you were for me all those years. Together, okay?"  
"Okay. So tell me, what will you do next year? College?"  
"Art school. I know, that's surprising, but I found out that I could draw and that I liked that."  
They went to Percy and Nico's bedroom (well, the one they shared in 'secret') where the youth liked to draw. Annabeth was impressed by the quality of his art.  
"That's our quests." she realized, looking at the draw boy facing a Titan. Kronos, she recognized. Then Gaea and all of their adventures. Even the Argo 2 was represented with a myriad of details.   
"It's beautiful. You're gifted, Percy. Do they like those?"  
"My art teacher showed them to one of the art school's teacher and we met. He wants me to draw something for an interview."  
"Oh, Percy. That's wonderful!"  
She hugged her best friend and they went downstairs, where the family was. The little girl who had a roman name ran to Annabeth and looked up at her.  
"You look like me!" she said with a smile.  
"Yeah, I look like you. But your eyes are cooler than mine."  
Caelina. That was her name. Caelina giggled and hugged her legs before running back where Nico and Simon were playing with the other children. Everyone had changed their clothes for casual ones, even the oldest Nikiforov, who seemed so natural in suits. He wore a tee-shirt with some funny quotes about lawyers and sweatpants. He looked more relaxed than when he was at Camp-Half Blood.  
The doorbell rang and Percy, who wasn't sitting, went to open the door. Simon perked up when he heard a masculine voice. Annabeth looked shyly at the entrance but sat when Diane gestured her to sit with her on a loveseat.  
"Guys, guess who decided to pay a visit!"  
"Lucas!" screamed the children, standing up and running to the new person on their tiny legs.  
The man knelt and hugged them, a happy smile on his face. He had chestnut, wavy hair and blue eyes, a pretty face and a bright smile. 'Lucas' took both Mathias and Capucine on his hips and walked to the living room.  
"I see the whole gang is there. Hello guys. And Miss. I'm Lucas Beausoleil, one of Simon's co-workers. It's nice to meet you. Sorry for the handshake, but my hands are full."  
"It's okay. I'm Annabeth Chase, Percy's friend. I... I'll stay here for a while."  
"Then, welcome to Washington." smiled the man before taking the children to their parents, Caelina hot on his heels.   
Simon hugged Lucas and Annabeth noticed the tattoos in his forearms. One was a little owl, sketch style, Athena's symbol. Probably for his children, who were Legacies of Athena. The other one was a black and white sunflower, also made like a sketch. She wondered what it stood for.  
Everyone in the family seemed to have tattoos, except the children and Nico, of course. Percy still had the one he got at Camp Jupiter and even Estrella got one. It was a discreet yet colorful flower bracelet. Nasturtiums noted Annabeth, which was Capucine's name translation in English. Mathieu had a floral armlet and a wolf on his other forearm. Diane had tattoos too, noticed the blonde as the older girl had changed her suit for a gray, short-sleeved dress. Two arrows crossing a crescent moon, obviously for her first name, Diane, which was Artemis' Roman form. Annabeth wondered if she had other tattoos or if it was the only one. They suited her, she thought.  
"Are you interested in tattoos, Annabeth? You've been staring at my sister's for at least 7 minutes," smirked Thomas, the most tattooed sibling.  
Annabeth jumped a little and blushed. From what she saw, the baker loved to embarrass the ones around him, as he made Lucas and Simon blush by calling the first 'Simon's beau'.  
"Y-Yeah... Yours are pretty. And meaningful, I guess."   
"They are. What would you like, if you could have one?" asked Estrella.  
"An owl. Or maybe a book's quote... I don't know."  
"That would suit you." hummed Diane. "Owls are symbols for Wisdom, Intuition, and Magic. Perfect for you."  
Annabeth blushed even more. Was it her imagination or Diane was flirting with her? From Percy's wiggling eyebrows in her direction, it wasn't from her imagination.


End file.
